Shadows of the Future
by Zim'sMostLoyalServant
Summary: Book 1 of the Destiny Trilogy. A mysterious new Irken arrives on Earth. Who is she, and what does she want with Zim? Better summery inside. Contains hints of Zim/OC. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

**A/N: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the beginning of my new saga. I don't know if this will be as popular as "The Puppet Master" and "Reckoning" were, but there's only one way to find out. Read on!**

**Summary: After years of being on Earth, Zim's life has entered a rut. But then one day, all that changes with a new arrival on the planet. Who is this mysterious new Irken? Where does she come from? And what does she want with Zim?**

**Disclaimer: I own the OCs and the plot. Everything else belongs the Great and Powerful Jhonen Vasquez.**

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** Shadows of the Future**

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Zim sat on the roof of his base, staring up at the night sky. He had been on Earth for six years, and during that time he had changed physically. Because the planet had a lighter gravitational pull than Irk, he had grown several inches taller. He had been quite ecstatic when that had happened, but eventually, his classmates- being human- had started to naturally grow taller. What had been especially irritating about this was when Dib had grown to a point where he was taller than the Invader. And he took _every_ opportunity to rub Zim's non-existent nose in it.

'Irritating little Earth-monkey,' Zim thought with a frown, but then it turned into a smirk as he thought, 'But I showed him up, didn't I?'

Deciding that it would seem unusual for him to stay the size of a child when he would soon be entering High Skool (and because he was sick of Dib lording over him in height), Zim had experimented with growth hormones. After several tests using cells cultivated from his own body, Zim had injected himself with a cocktail of hormones, which had made him grow until he was an even six feet tall. That made him several inches taller than Dib (something he gloated about for days), and only a few shorter than the Almighty Tallest themselves.

That new thought made Zim pause. At his current height, he could rival the Pretty-Mighty Third Tallest and maybe even the Sort-Of-Mighty Second Tallest for succession to the throne. And yet, Red and Purple had never seemed to really notice or care about his new height whenever he spoke to them. On the other hand, he only called them once or twice a month these days, so maybe they hadn't realized it yet.

Shrugging the thought off, Zim stood up and brushed off his uniform, which had also changed over the years. Because he had outgrown his old standard-issue Invader uniform, he had had to design a new one for himself. He now wore pants that bore the appearance of ordinary black jeans, but were tear and flame resistant, and were equipped with subspace pockets capable of holding numerous items of great size. The pant legs flowed into the tops of Zim's new boots, which he had modeled after the ones worn by Tak- he hated that woman with a passion, but he admired her fashion sense. The uniform shirt had been replaced with a more human-looking one, which was red in the chest area (with the black symbol of the Irken Empire sown on the front), and had black sleeves that ran into equally black gloves.

After he finished dusting himself off, Zim headed towards the roof entrance back into his house, deciding to get some recharge before the morning, when he'd have to suffer the torture that was High Skool. Just before he ducked inside, he took one last glance at the stars. Like any ambitious Irken, he dreamed of gaining power, and ruling over those stars.

What Zim didn't know, however, was that the course of his life was about to change. And soon, he would be near to fulfilling his dreams, standing on the verge of becoming ruler of every star in the sky and all the worlds that orbited them.

And it would all start with an event taking place that very moment on the other side of the city.

XXXXXXX

_The Mall, Same Time_

Slab Rankle, Chief of Mall Security, stared at the banks of security monitors in his control room. "Sleep tight, mall," he said, going into his usual night routine, "Know that all your precious stores are safe under my watchful gaze. And… wait, what's this?" One of the monitors had gone to static, which naturally set off warning bells in Rankle's mind.

"So, someone thinks they can mess with this mall, huh?" Rankle asked rhetorically, "Not on my watch! Hmm, third floor atrium. Okay, it's go time!"

XXXXXXX

_A few moments earlier_

On the third floor balcony overlooking the atrium, the lights started flickering, and a few seconds later, lightning started crackling out of nowhere, striking the walls and floors, frying all the electronics in the area (including the security camera) and shattering the windows of a few shops. Suddenly, the lightning bolts struck together creating a glowing, swirling vortex, out of which shot a figure that landed in a crouch.

As the vortex disappeared, the figure stood up. It was wearing a black, hooded cloak, under which it wore a black bodysuit that showed off the figure's slender, feminine form. She cracked her neck and looked around. "Well," she said, "It looks like it worked. Time to begin the mission, then."

"Hold it right there!"

The cloaked figure turned around to see Rankle standing at the other end of the hall. He quickly surveyed all the damage caused by the vortex, then glared at the figure. "So," he said, "You think you can just waltz into this mall and vandalize it, huh? Well, you're wrong punk! And now, you're going down!"

The figure placed her hands on her hips, and Rankle had the distinct feeling she was smirking at him. "Do you really want to fight me old man?" she asked.

"Old man? Old man?!" Rankle shouted, as the eye he normally kept shut popped open in anger, "That does it! Let's see how smug you are after you face my new security system." He pulled out a remote with only one oh-so-clichéd big red button on it, which he promptly pushed. There was a clanking sound as one of the walls pulled away, and several tall humanoid robots walked out of the hole.

Rankle smirked. After the incident with that green child a few years back, he had eliminated his useless zombie security force and replaced it with a mechanized division- one which was capable of _actually_ combating intruders. Rankle was pulled from his musings as the cloaked figure started laughing. "Is this it?" she asked, "I've faced tougher challenges in my sleep."

"Grrrr! GET HER!" Rankle roared, pointing a finger dramatically at the black-clothed intruder. The robots extended their clawed hands and rushed the cloaked figure.

But before they reached her, she leapt into the air. She landed on the back of one of the robots, and ripped a panel off the base of its neck, revealing a bunch of wires. "Oh, now don't these look important," she said with a laugh, as she ripped the wires out. The robot started twitching and shooting out sparks, before collapsing. As it did so, the cloaked female somersaulted off its back, landing a few feet away.

The other robots turned and charged at her, but she simply stood still and pulled a metal cylinder out of a pocket in her cloak. Just as the lead robot reached her, she flicked a switch on the side of the cylinder, and a blade of pure energy extended from the top. With a single swing, the cloaked warrior severed the robot's extended arm, and then swung the blade horizontally to cut the robot in half at the waist.

She then launched herself at the three remaining robots, plunging the energy sword into the nearest one's chest. She dragged the blade, and then pulled it free and ducked as one of the other robots punched the air where she had just been. She then swept the blade through the robot's legs, sending it to the floor, and before it could get up, she cut its head off. She then quickly flung the energy sword at the last robot, hitting it dead in the head.

Having dispatched all the robotic security guards, she turned back to Rankle, whose jaw was hanging slack. "Any more toys you want me to break?" she asked. This snapped Rankle out of his funk, and he charged at the cloaked figure who had just destroyed his security system. He aimed a punch at her head, but she just ducked and rolled out of the way, her hood coming off as she did so. Rankle spun around, and froze in shock at what he saw.

The cloaked figure had flawless lime-green skin, bright green eyes framed by thick eyelashes, and curly antennae. "Wh-what are you?" Rankle managed to choke out. The female Irken bared her zipper-like teeth in a cruel smile as she replied, "Your worst nightmare, human."

PAK spider legs suddenly extended out from the folds of her cloak. Using them as a springboard, she threw herself at Rankle, knocking both of them over the balcony. The only difference was, the Irken managed to grab onto the edge of the balcony with her spider legs, while Rankle fell until he crashed through the roof of a Krazy Taco stand.

Having pulled herself back onto the balcony, the Irken female gave the wounded and unconscious form of the defeated Mall Security Officer one final smirk. She then pulled her hood back up, retrieved her energy sword, and walked away, heading out of the Mall.

Her destination: the poorly disguised base of the planet's resident Irken Invader.

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**A/N: And there's the prologue done. I know I focused more on my OC than on Zim, but this will not- I repeat, WILL NOT- be a Mary Sue fic. I simply wanted to start this story off with a bang, as well as give my character a good introduction.**

**Next chapter: Plot development, more Zim, and some Dib, GIR, and Minimoose.**

**Until then, read and review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to the next chapter of "Shadows of the Future." Sorry this took a while to get up, but you all know how writer's block is. Anyway, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own the OCs and the plot. Everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

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The green-eyed Irken worked her way through the woods outside the city towards the suburb where Zim's base was located. Her optic implants switched over into night-vision mode to allow her to pierce through the dark of the nighttime forest, and she quickly checked that she was heading in the right direction.

'Perfect,' she thought, 'I'll be there before daybreak.'

But before she could go any further, her PAK let out a warning signal. "Urgh, of all the times to need a recharge," she muttered. Stopping by a particularly large oak tree, she reached into one of the subspace pockets of her bodysuit and pulled out a large cubical device- a portable PAK recharger. She placed it on the ground, hit the purple activation button, and then sat down in a cross-legged meditative position. As she got comfortable, the top half of the recharger popped open, and several cables snaked out. They worked their way through the folds of her cloak and attached to her PAK.

The Irken shut her eyes as her PAK began recharging. 'Hope this doesn't take too long,' she thought, 'I have a schedule to keep.' That was her last thought before her conscious mind shut down and she entered her people's version of sleep.

XXXXXXX

_Zim's Base, The Following Morning_

Zim looked up at the main monitor of his computer, which was currently showing some half-completed schematics. "Hmm," he muttered, "Yes, once this project is complete, this world will kneel before ZIM!!! Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Master, you say that _every time,_" the computer said in its usual monotone, then it paused and said, "Seriously, you _do_ say that every time. Even the laugh- in fact, I think I have them all recorded somewhere-"

"Oh just shut up," Zim snapped, before noticing the time on the digital clock attached to the side of the monitor. "Frag!" he hissed, "I'll be late for that wretched excuse for an educational facility! I'm going to be _so_ happy when I don't have to put up with that place anymore…"

Zim trailed off into incoherent insults aimed at the severely lacking human educational system as he put on his disguise (which hadn't changed a bit over the years) and headed up one of the elevator shafts that connected his lab to the surface level of his base. Another change that had occurred because of Zim's increased height was that he'd had to replace a few of the entrances to his lab; namely the small, narrow trashcan and toilet entrances (not that he missed the latter one). Now, the primary entrance to the lower levels was an elevator shaft whose entrance was concealed by the refrigerator in the kitchen.

As Zim reached the top of the shaft, said refrigerator slid to the side, allowing Zim to glide up into the kitchen. As he did so, he was greeted with a familiar sight: GIR was wearing a frilly pink apron, "cooking" on the stove, while Minimoose floated in the air nearby observing.

"Hi Master!" GIR shouted, while Minimoose squeaked his own greeting.

Zim narrowed one contact-covered eye at the mess on the stove. "GIR, I probably don't want to know, but what are you making?" he asked, pointing to the bubbling mass of batter, butter, and what looked like tomato sauce that was sitting on the stove.

"Pasta waffles!" the deranged SIR unit shouted, "You want some?"

Zim took several steps back, knowing that he had to word his response correctly, or GIR would throw a tantrum. "Well, I would sure just _love_ to have some of your filthy cooking," Zim said with a forced smile, "But I'm running late, so I don't have time."

"Aw," GIR whined, but then he smiled and said, "I'll just give yours to my squirrel!" GIR then popped open his head and pulled out a half-dead looking squirrel- which promptly jumped out of his hand and out the window. GIR didn't seem to notice, and went back to cooking the disgusting slop he called food.

Zim sighed as he rubbed the space between his eyes. "Minimoose, please make sure he doesn't burn the house down again," he sighed.

"Squeak!" Minimoose replied, nodding his… body.

Zim sighed in annoyance again and headed out the front door, mentally bracing himself for the living Hell that was High Skool.

XXXXXXX

_Meanwhile_

The female Irken's eyes fluttered open as the portable recharger finished its job and retracted its cables from her PAK. Her mind still slightly fuzzy from regaining consciousness, she took a moment to admire how nice the forest looked in the sunlight.

'…Sunlight?' she thought with start, remembering as her mind came fully back online that it had been the middle of the night when she had entered recharge. She quickly checked her internal clock, and found that she had been in recharge for over eight hours.

The string of Irken curses that accompanied this realization was shouted so loudly that every animal in a radius of three square miles ran away in fright.

XXXXXXX

_Half An Hour Later_

The still fuming Irken found herself in an alley on the outskirts of the cul-de-sac where Zim had built his base. There didn't seem to be any surveillance equipment in the vicinity, but she had been trained not to take any chances. She reached down to the equipment belt on her waist and flipped the switch on a small rectangular device near her hip. A field of energy surrounded her, bending light so that it went around her body instead of bouncing off it- effectively rendering her invisible to the naked eye.

She strolled over to the misshapen green house that served as the disguise for Zim's base and used a laser lock pick to open the door. Once she was in, she shut the door and deactivated her cloaking device.

"What the heck? Where'd you come from?" the computer asked, the surprise evident in its voice.

"That's none of your concern," the Irken replied as she lowered her hood and glared at the ceiling, "I have a mission of the utmost importance given to me by my glorious Tallest, and I've already fallen behind schedule. Therefore, you will aid me in any way I deem necessary, or I will dismantle you. Understand?"

"Y-yes, I understand," the computer stuttered, "How may I be of assistance?"

The Irken smirked and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off when a high-pitched voice shouted "Hi!" behind her. She quickly spun around, grabbing and igniting her energy sword, but she relaxed when she saw it was only GIR (who was covered in the "waffle" batter he'd been cooking earlier) and Minimoose, both of whom were staring at her in curiosity.

"Hello!" GIR repeated his greeting, "I'm GIR, and this is Minimoose." The faulty SIR unit then jumped onto his companion's back and started pulling on his antlers. "He's got nubs! Hee, hee, hee, hee!" Minimoose glared at GIR as best he could from the angle they were at, while he mentally deactivated his weapon systems so that GIR wouldn't accidentally set them off again.

"Yes, that's fascinating," the Irken said dryly as she deactivated her energy sword, "Now, if someone in this peanut gallery would be so kind as to inform me as to where I could find Zim, I'll be on my way."

"The Master is at the human educational facility known as High Skool," the computer said quickly, wanting to stay on the stranger's good side.

"I go to Skool too sometimes!" GIR interrupted, "But my Skool's filled with magical fruits! And monkeys! And dancing weenies! And-"

The Irken grabbed a pillow from the couch and shoved it in GIR's mouth, shutting him up. She then stroked her chin in thought. "So, he's in a public place, huh?" she mused out loud, "Damn. I can't confront him where there are witnesses. I suppose I'll have to wait until he gets back." Her planning was cut short by a rumbling from the digestive section of her squeedly-spooch. She turned back to the floating robotic minions, one of whom was currently eating the pillow that had been shoved into his mouth.

"You have anything to eat?" she asked.

XXXXXXX

_The High Skool, Several Hours Later_

"And that, students, is another reason why the government shouldn't be wasting its time and money on you useless sacks of flesh," droned Zim's Social Science teacher Mr. Sourz. Zim was fairly certain the bald, grey-bearded man was another offspring of whatever unholy force had spawned Ms. Bitters, since they seemed to have the same personality and outlook on life.

The Invader was currently in the process of trying to balance a pencil on his upper lip, not really listening to his teacher's rant- an art he had perfected with several years of being in Ms. Bitters' class. His concentration was broken when the last bell of the day rang.

"Class dismissed," Mr. Sourz said, "Now get out my sight, you sicken me."

Zim and the rest of the class quickly filed out of the room. As Zim headed towards the main doors, someone fell into step behind him and said, "Hello, Zim."

Zim stopped dead in his tracks, and under his wig his antennae flattened against his head in anger. "Hello, Dib," he hissed, turning around to face his nemesis, "What do you want this time, stink-beast?"

Other than his height, Dib had changed very little over the past several years. He still had his hair in a scythe style, albeit slightly longer, and he still wore a trench coat over a blue shirt with a frowning face on it. "What do you think?" he asked, adjusting his glasses, "You haven't tried anything for the last few weeks, which means you're up to something big. And I just want you to know that whatever it is, I'm going to stop it. And then-"

"Yes, yes," Zim said, "And then you'll get me on an autopsy table, and they'll probably name the video after you." Zim rolled his eyes. "You've been saying that for years, Dib-Monkey. It hasn't happened yet."

"Yeah and you've been saying you'll take over the Earth for just as long, Spaceboy," Dib said, glaring at Zim, "And I don't see any Irken flags flying anywhere, ya little bastard."

"Little am I?" Zim asked with a smirk, making a show of measuring the height difference between the two of them. Dib's glare increased as he said, "It's a figure of speech you stupid-"

"Look! A Sasquatch!" Zim shouted, pointing down the hall.

"Where?" Dib asked excitedly, turning around… only to receive a kick in the rear that sent him sprawling to the ground. Zim ran off laughing, while Dib muttered every curse he knew as he picked himself up off the ground.

XXXXXXX

_Zim's Base, A Few Minutes Later_

Zim was still chuckling to himself when he entered his base and removed his disguise. "Master, thank the Tallest you're back," the computer said, interrupting his good mood, "We have a serious situation."

Zim narrowed one eye in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I SAID THAT I DIDN'T WANT ANYMORE OF YOUR FILTHY WAFFLES, YOU STUPID TIN CAN!" a voice shouted from the kitchen.

Zim blinked in surprise as the computer said, "That answer your question?"

Zim quickly readied his PAK's weapon systems and ran into the kitchen. He stopped in surprise at what he saw: A green-eyed Irken female he'd never seen before in his life was sitting at the kitchen table, while GIR stood on it in front of her holding a plate of his deformed waffles (Zim was fairly certain he saw one of them move), and Minimoose was floating nearby watching the whole spectacle.

GIR looked up from trying to force-feed his "guest" and noticed Zim in the doorway. "Hi Master!" he shouted.

The female turned and also saw Zim there, and a smirk formed on her face. "Finally," she said as she stood up. Zim quickly sized her up- she was wearing a black bodysuit and cloak, which were most likely equipped with subspace pockets that contained various weapons. But what Zim really noticed was her height; not counting her antennae, she came up to his chest, making her pretty tall.

"Who are you?" Zim asked, bracing himself for an attack. The female walked around the table, eliminating the only barrier between them, and looked up into his eyes with a determination and a fire Zim had seen in only a few other beings in his life.

"My name is Jana," she said, and Zim tensed as she placed one hand on her energy sword… and then lowered herself to one knee and bowed her head. Zim blinked in surprise as Jana raised her head back up and said, "And I have come to serve you, my liege, lord and master."

Zim could only stare in confusion as he assimilated this information and finally he said the most intelligent thing he could think of.

"Eh?"

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**A/N: Well, this turned out a bit longer than I thought it would. This might end up being shorter than "Reckoning" was, but we'll have to wait and see. Anyway, if it starts to seem at anytime like I'm focusing too much on my character Jana, let me know.**

**Next time: Jana's origin, and a big sci-fi movie reference.**

**Until then, read and review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so this story apparently isn't as popular as "Reckoning" was- the last chapter got only one review… on the other hand, there were 20 hits, so it seems that people like it but only one person let me know. –hint, hint- Anyway, read on!**

**Disclaimer: Jana is my creation. Everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

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Zim could only stare in confusion at Jana, who was still lowered on one knee and looking up at him. Finally, Zim said, "What in the name of Mother Irk are you talking about?"

"I know it might be a little confusing, my lord," Jana said as she stood up, "And it is complicated. But I can explain. You see-"

"This is a trick, isn't it?" Zim snapped, suddenly getting into a defensive position. Jana blinked, and then opened her mouth to respond. But Zim cut her off and pointed a finger at her dramatically while shouting, "ISN'T IT?!"

Jana's antennae cocked into a confused angle. "Why would I wish to trick you?" she asked.

Zim lowered his hand and thought about that. "Uh," he said, "I don't know, but this _has_ to be a trick. I've never seen you before in my life, and then you just barge into my base and start addressing me as 'master' and 'my lord'? You're plotting something, but Zim is not so easily fooled! GIR! Restrain her!"

GIR dropped his plate of "waffles" as he switched into Duty Mode. His red eyes locked onto Jana, who turned to look at him, and then he leapt at her… and then fell to the ground, curled up into a ball, and went to sleep. Zim slapped himself in the forehead while Jana narrowed one eye in confusion and nudged the sleeping SIR unit with her boot.

"Why do you even keep this idiot?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Zim, whose left eye started to twitch.

"Shut it!" he snapped, "Minimoose, Computer, get her!"

"Squeak!" Minimoose said as a large ion cannon popped out of his back, while several robotic claws descended from the ceiling. Jana sighed, but merely activated her energy sword. She then performed a back flip, swinging the glowing blade as she did so. She landed perfectly, and seconds later the claws fell to the ground, severed from the tentacles attaching them to the ceiling.

Zim's jaw fell open in amazement, while Jana turned to Minimoose and smirked. "Next?" she asked. The floating purple moose let out a terrified squeak, then retracted his weapon and flew under the table to hide. Zim growled and activated his spider legs. "That does it!" he snarled, "Now, prepare to face the wrath of Zim! I shall- what the Hell?"

Zim looked around, but Jana seemed to have disappeared. Suddenly, something tapped Zim on the shoulder. He spun around, but there was nothing there. Something hit him on the opposite shoulder, and he spun around again. Still nothing. This repeated several more times, until Zim was considerably dizzy. Then, something shoved him lightly, and he fell backwards onto a chair. Jana then reappeared, grinning.

"Ready to listen now, sir?" she asked.

Zim absentmindedly retracted his spider legs as he could only stare in shock. "How did you _do_ that?" he asked, awe dripping off his words. Jana's grin widened as she tapped a rectangular device on her belt. "This device is a compact version of the cloaking system from the Megadoomer line of war machines," she explained, "Powerful enough only for one person, however."

Zim blinked. "A _personal_ cloaking field?" he asked, "I've never seen that kind of technology before."

"That's because it hasn't been invented yet."

"Eh?" Zim asked, squinting an eye.

Jana chuckled. "As I said, my lord, it is complicated. But I will try and put it simply." She swept her cloak back with a theatrical flourish and clasped a fist to her chest in salute. "I am Jana," she said, reintroducing herself, "I am a Shadow, the personal bodyguard and assassin of Almighty Tallest Zim."

Zim's antennae shot up in surprise, and went even further at Jana's next sentence.

"And I have come from the future… in order to change it."

XXXXXXX

_Membrane Household, A Few Minutes Later_

Dib was still rubbing the spot where Zim had kicked him as he entered his room. "Stupid overgrown grasshopper," Dib muttered as he gently sat down on his computer table chair. He quickly activated the link to Tak's ship; and, ignoring the annoyed insults from the ship's A.I., used it to activate the spy cameras he had managed to hide in Zim's base over the course of the past several months.

He blinked in surprise, however, when all the screens showed was static. "Hey, what gives?" he asked.

"Looks like something's blocking the spy signal at the source," replied the A.I. in Tak's British accented voice, "Zim must have installed a Vortian Electronic Security Field."

Dib turned his attention to the screen showing the view from the camera in his garage, which was trained on Tak's ship. "And you didn't warn me he might get one of those things, why?" he asked.

The A.I. let out a synthesized snort. "Simple," she said, "I hate you almost as much as I hate the little Defective you're attempting to spy on, you stupid little dirt-worm."

Dib glared at the monitor, then flicked off the screens and the link to the ship and leaned back in his chair. He scratched his chin in thought as he muttered, "What are you up too, Zim? You've never bothered with this kind of security before, even with the really big plans. So, what are you going to do this time?" Dib paused as another thought came to him.

"And why am I talking to myself again?"

XXXXXXX

_Zim's Lab, Same Time_

Zim sat at his main computer console, having activated the new ESF he had bought from Prisoner 777 the week before. He turned to look at Jana, who was looking at the contents of the lab the way human children looked at their presents on Christmas.

"Why are you looking at my lab like that?" Zim asked.

Jana smiled sheepishly. "You'll have to forgive me for that," she said, "But in my time, this whole facility is a museum of your days as an Invader. I can't tell you how many times I visited this place, wishing to touch these machines and hopefully have some of your brilliance rub off on me. Of course, everything was always under preservation force fields, so I could never get this close." She trailed off as she placed a hand on the computer bank next to her and stroked it almost lovingly.

"Right," Zim said, getting up from the chair and walking over to the cloak-wearing female, "You know, I'm still not convinced about this whole 'you come from the future' thing."

Jana cocked her antennae in confusion. "If you don't believe me, then why have you allowed me into your main lab?"

Zim huffed and crossed his arms. "This is the most secure area of my base. I can interrogate you here without worry of being spied on. Now then, I want some proof."

"Other than the technology I have that you've never seen before?" Jana asked. Before Zim could respond to that, Jana said, "How about the fact that I know that you're currently building a giant orbital Electro-Magnetic Pulse Cannon as part of your next plan for the conquest of this world?"

Zim's jaw became unhinged, and he did a pretty good impersonation of a flounder as he gasped at Jana. "How… How could you possibly know that?" he managed to choke out.

"It's a matter of historical record in my time," Jana said, "The plan that finally brings the human race under the heel of the Irken Empire."

Zim's eyes widened in glee and his antennae shot up on excitement. "Yes!" he shouted, punching his fists into the air, "Finally! See, Computer, I told you this plan would make me supreme, and… hey, wait a minute!" Zim gave Jana an inquisitive look. "You said you came here to change the future. Why? It sounds pretty good to me."

Jana's face darkened. "At first, yes," she said coldly, "But eventually… well, maybe this will explain it." She then reached into one of the subspace pockets on her bodysuit and pulled out a fist-sized metal sphere. She pressed a button on its side and it floated into the air, where it then projected a light down onto the floor.

The light soon formed into a hologram of a tall Irken seated on a throne vaguely shaped like the Imperial Irken insignia. But Zim didn't notice the chair- he was distracted by the fact that the Irken sitting on it, wearing black-and-crimson Tallest armor, was HIM! The face was starting to show age, with wrinkles forming around the mouth and eyes, but the eyes themselves were still the same ones he saw every time he looked in the mirror.

"_Hello, Zim,_" the hologram spoke, the voice the same as his, "_Or perhaps I should say 'hello, me'. Heh, and they say talking to yourself is a sign of insanity._"

Zim bit back on a laugh- he found that funny, but he didn't want to miss any of the message over the sound of his own laughter. The hologram continued, saying, "_If you're watching this message, then that means that Jana has been successful in her mission. Not that I ever doubted her, of course. She is without a doubt my… I mean _our_ most loyal servant. She practically worships the ground we walk on._"

Zim turned to look at Jana, who coughed and turned her head away, scratching at her cheek. He couldn't be sure, with the dim lighting in the lab, but he could have sworn that her cheeks had turned a darker shade of green at that comment.

He turned back to the hologram as Future Zim (as he'd dubbed him in his mind) said, "_But now on to business. I am certain you want to know why I would take the risk of altering the very course of time. Make no mistake, Zim: I have every intention of you becoming me, but I don't want you to have the same problems I had on the road from being you to being me._" Future Zim paused as his antennae cocked into a confused angle. "_That made more sense in my head…_" he muttered, before shaking it off, "_Regardless, I will tell you my tale- _your _tale- so that you may avoid the mistakes I have made._

"_The EMP Cannon in orbit was truly the greatest achievement of my career as an Invader. With a few well-aimed blasts from just beyond the Moon's orbit, I was able to knock out 95 percent of the Earth's power grid. After that, the humans did a fairly good job of destroying themselves._" Future Zim paused to let out a laugh, then continued with a grin, "_Deprived of their precious utilities, conveniences, and means of long-range communication, the filthy little monkeys fell into anarchy and chaos. The cities were consumed by riots as the humans fought over food, water and fuel; military and political groups, thinking that there had been a war, started establishing their own areas of control and fighting each other; cults and other religious fanatics started killing themselves off because they thought it was the end of the world._"

Future Zim's grin widened and he leaned forward, as if to whisper a secret. "_And you know what? They weren't wrong._" Future Zim leaned back into his throne as he said, "_For while the humans were fighting amongst themselves, I contacted the Tallest and informed them of my success. I can still see the look on their faces when they realized two things: one, that I had managed to pull off the conquest of Earth, and two, that I had grown almost as tall as them. Apparently, they hadn't really been paying that much attention to my previous transmissions, so they hadn't noticed._"

Future Zim shrugged nonchalantly. "_In any case, the Control Brains fully reinstated me as an Invader and forced the Tallest to bring the Armada to Earth and aid me in its subjugation. Everything went according to plan, until one little snag… I think you know whom I speak of._"

A sneer formed on Zim's face as his future self paused. "Dib," he spat, "Why am I not surprised?"

"_The Dib-Worm never did know when to quit,_" Future Zim said with a frown, "_And he took advantage of the one flaw in the EMP Cannon plan: it didn't affect _Irken_ technology. Overriding the A.I. onboard the ship he took from Tak, Dib launched an attack against the ships of the Armada in the skies over that wretched city we fought each other in for so many years. When he realized he couldn't win, he let that annoying heroic streak of his get the better of him- he performed a suicide run on the _Massive."

Zim's eyes widened in shock. "He did what?!" he shouted.

"_The ship crashed directly into the bridge,_" Future Zim said, his voice going cold, "_Red and Purple were killed… but despite the stink-beast's noble sacrifice and good intentions, that did not stop the invasion. As the highest ranking- and tallest- soldier in the system, I assumed command of the Armada and burnt every city on the planet to the ground as payment for Dib's crime. Afterwards, there was a bit of a crisis for the throne. Technically, Second Tallest Arnor was next in line, but he and I were of the same height. The fool refused to recognize my rite to the throne, saying that my height was unnatural and illegal. So, I challenged him to a duel. He fought honorably- but I fought dirty._"

Future Zim smirked. "_And so it came to pass, that I became the Almighty Tallest, and for three and a half centuries I have reigned supreme over the galaxy. But there was a problem. It seems even though Dib died, he continued to pester me from beyond the grave. After his death, the surviving members of the Swollen Eyeball Network used him and his pointless sacrifice as a lightning rod to gather support for a resistance. Over the years, it grew stronger, until it managed to make contact with the Resisty and other groups throughout our territory. Eventually, this combined resistance grew so strong it was able to drive us first off Earth, then Vort, then Meekrob…_"

Future Zim trailed off as he sagged into his throne. "_Even as I record this, they make their way to Irk in order to destroy our glorious Empire once and for all. So, I have decided to take drastic steps in order to insure our survival. Remember our old Space-Time Object Displacement device? Well, with some clever modifications, I made it so that living beings can travel through, and sent Jana, my most loyal servant and greatest assassin, to aid you and change history to the way I see fit._"

As he said this, Future Zim sat back up with a fire burning in his eyes. "_She will see to it that Dib never has a chance to become a martyr. Then, when you become Tallest, there will be no resistance. Nothing shall stand in your way, and the Irken Empire shall reign supreme over this galaxy, unto Eternity!_"

With one final laugh, the hologram dissolved, leaving Zim and Jana alone in the room. Jana caught the hologram sphere as it fell from the air, and placed it in her pocket. She then turned to the slightly shell-shocked Zim and asked, "So, what do you wish for me to do now, sir?"

Zim heaved a sigh and rubbed the side of his head. "I… I need a moment to… to absorb all this. I'll let you know in the morning."

"As you command, milord," she said with a bow. She then turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Zim watched her go, then wearily sat down in his chair. "Well, that was… unexpected," the computer said.

"That, my friend," Zim replied, "Is the understatement of the millennium."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: I've noticed something: almost every chapter turns out longer than I think it will. Anyway, in case anyone didn't get it, the whole time travel concept was taken from the 'Terminator' movies.**

**Next chapter: Jana's mission begins.**

**Read and review!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: An anonymous reviewer pointed an important flaw in the time-travel plot as mentioned last chapter, and I will attempt to rectify it this chapter. Anyway, this chapter we'll get some more plot development as Jana begins her mission to eliminate Dib as a threat. Read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own Jana and her future-tech. Everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

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_Zim's Lab, The Following Morning_

Zim drummed his fingers on the console. He had spent the entire night repeatedly going over the situation. On the one hand, it seemed too good to be true; it could just be an elaborate hoax. On the other hand, Jana did have technology he'd never even dreamed off before, and there _was_ the fact that she knew about the orbital EMP Cannon.

'I haven't even finished designing it yet,' Zim thought to himself as he brought up the schematics on the main computer monitor, 'So how else could she even know about it?'

Finally making up his mind, Zim said, "Computer, where is Jana?"

"Same place she's been all night," the computer replied, "Level seven, storage room two."

Zim got out of his chair and walked over the elevator. Several minutes later, it reached the selected level and the doors slid open. Zim strode down the hallway until he reached an ordinary set of doors and opened them. The storage room was very plain, just a dozen or so feet across, and most of that space was filled with large containers. Jana sat on the floor in the open space in the middle of the room, her legs crossed, her hands on her knees, and her eyes closed.

Zim cleared his throat, and Jana opened her eyes. When she saw Zim, she quickly readjusted her legs so that she was on one knee, and she bowed her head. "How can I be of service, my lord?" she asked.

"Well, I've considered what you've told me," Zim said, "And seeing as I can't disprove it, I'm going to have to accept it as true. Now come on, we need to talk before I head off to that Gods-awful human educational facility."

Jana stood up and followed Zim out the door as he said, "I've realized something: my future self's plan, while brilliant- naturally, since he is me- is flawed."

"How so?" Jana asked as she walked several paces behind him.

As they walked into the elevator, Zim responded, "If the Dib-Monkey is killed prior to the invasion, he won't become a martyr for the resistance, that much is true. However," he added, holding a finger in the air, "That therefore means that the Tallest will not die, and I will not be able to take their place. We need to find a solution to this. I want to be Tallest- I've dreamt of that since I was a smeet."

"Well," Jana said hesitantly, "What if the Tallest were to have an unfortunate… accident?"

Zim turned to look at her with a look that was part inquisitive, part outraged. "You actually suggest to _kill_ the Almighty Tallest?!"

The time-displaced Irken gave a nonchalant shrug. "It would not be the first time I have eliminated a threat to your throne," she said, "It is part of my duty as one of your Shadows, after all."

The inquisitive part of Zim's look gradually won over the outraged part as he asked, "What is a 'Shadow', anyway?"

"One of the changes you made to the structure of the Empire during the first century of your reign," Jana said, as if reciting from a textbook, "You created the position of Tallest's Shadow as a rank beyond even the Invaders and Elite Guard. Only a select few Shadows exist, as there are a series of extreme tests that must be passed- many candidates do not survive the physical trials. And then there are the psychological tests- there can be no sign of any mental Defects whatsoever, and there can be absolutely no sign of any disloyalty towards the Tallest." Jana paused and smirked, then said, "I passed that part with flying colors. As a Shadow, I am your ultimate line of defense against any assassination attempts, as well as being an instrument _for_ assassination against your enemies."

"Interesting," Zim said as the elevator reached the house level, "But that still leaves us with an ethical pro- GIR! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO LET THAT FILTHY ANIMAL INTO THE HOUSE?!"

Jana jumped at the outburst, then turned around to see GIR sitting at the kitchen table with a confused-looking pig at the other end, and a plate of tacos between them. GIR waved at Zim as he said, "Pig wanted to come over and play! So I made pork tacos!" The insane robot then picked up one of the tacos and thrust it into the pig's mouth, forcing the poor animal to perform an act of cannibalism.

Zim rubbed the sides of his head and sighed. "That robot's going to be the death of me," he muttered. Turning his attention back to Jana, he said, "I'm going to Skool now. That means that the Dib will be there too, but you can't kill him there. There would be witnesses, and that's the _last_ thing we want."

"What do you order then, master?" Jana asked.

"Go to his home and destroy that ship," Zim said as he put on his disguise, "Without it, he cannot destroy the _Massive._ As for actually killing him… well, I want to do that myself."

"Yes sir," Jana said, "And, what of the Tallest?"

Zim paused at the door and was silent for several moments, before saying, "As the humans say, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Without another word, Zim walked out the door and closed it behind him.

XXXXXXX

_Membrane Household, Several Minutes Later_

Dib cleaned his hands on a rag as he finished up his work on the ship. He was fairly certain he was close to finding a way to override the A.I.- hopefully, _without_ repeating the incident where the ship had copied his mind and thought it was him. That had been quite possibly the most disturbing thing that had ever happened to him…

Checking his watch, Dib cursed when he saw the time, "Damn, I'm going to be late for Skool! Oh well, it's worth it to keep the Earth safe."

Quickly packing his tools, Dib grabbed his Skool stuff (which he always kept handy in case of situations like this) and headed towards the open garage door. As he was walking out, he paused. He suddenly had the strangest feeling he was being watched. Looking around, he didn't see anybody, and the ship was turned off, so that wasn't it. "Maybe I'm just getting paranoid," Dib muttered, shrugging the feeling off and heading out the garage door, not bothering to look back. If he had, he would have seen the air in the middle of the room seemingly shimmer as Jana deactivated her personal cloak.

"It would have been so simple," she muttered through gritted teeth, but then she sighed, "But if this is what Lord Zim wants, then so be it. Spend these next few days well, human, for they shall be your last."

She then turned her attention to the ship. "A shame to destroy such craftsmanship," she said as she pulled out her energy sword, "But you are a threat to my master and the Golden Age he is destined to bring about." She then activated the sword, its light reflecting off of the cockpit viewscreen.

With a mighty swing and a battle cry, Jana shattered the viewscreen and buried the blade in the main console. A stream of sparks flew into the air, and the ship came back online as the A.I.'s self-preservation protocols activated. But the A.I. didn't have time to do anything other than scream as Jana repeatedly slashed the console, reducing it to slag. The weapon pods on the side of the ship went limp as the circuits connecting them to the A.I. were severed.

"Why… _brzzzt_…" the A.I. asked, sounding like it was on the verge of going offline, "Why are you do…_brzzzt_… doing th-this?"

Jana merely sneered at the damaged ship as she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a plasma grenade. "_There is no law but the will of the Tallest,_" she said, reciting the oath of the Shadows, "_For those that defy that will, there is but destruction and death._" With that said, she hit the activation button on the grenade and threw it into the cockpit. She then turned around and marched out of the garage, reactivating her cloak as she did so. Just as she exited the garage, the grenade exploded, consuming the ship in a massive fireball. Jana paused and looked back at the fire, then walked away, heading down the street back towards Zim's base.

"Destruction and death," she repeated to herself.

XXXXXXX

_The High Skool, Several Hours Later_

It was during lunch hour that Dib noticed something strange about Zim: He seemed to be carrying himself with even more pride than he usually did. And _that_ was saying something. He was practically strutting as he walked out of the school onto the courtyard with a tray of food- it was either more edible than the stuff in their old Skool, or the Invader had built up an immunity.

"Now I know he's up to something," Dib muttered as he watched Zim from across the courtyard, "He's acting _way_ too happy. Maybe he has some big super weapon he's ready to use; or maybe the Armada's on the way; or maybe-"

"Or maybe someone hit him in the head with a crowbar," Gaz said from her spot next to him at their table, not taking her eyes off of her GameSlave Infinity 360, "Which is a coincidence, because if you don't shut up, that's what I'm going to do to you."

Dib instantly shut his mouth. But he didn't take his gaze off of Zim, who was sitting at a different table at the other end of the courtyard.

Zim, meanwhile, didn't notice Dib looking at him. He didn't even notice the food he was placing in his mouth- not that that would have made much of a difference; he'd deactivated his taste buds for the time being. He was too busy going over his previous discussion with Jana.

'I can't just _kill_ the Tallest,' he thought to himself, 'that is in defiance of everything I've been taught since I was hatched. Then again, it would be Jana doing the killing, not me. Besides, haven't I already defied the Academy's teachings by artificially increasing my height?'

He gripped the fork in his hand so tight it bit into his skin despite the glove he was wearing. 'Gargh! This is so confusing! I need to come up with an answer and soon- the EMP Cannon will be ready by the end of the week, and the Armada will come after that, that's going to happen regardless…'

Zim's train of thought was cut off when a spit wad hit him in the side of the head. "Head's up, loser!" Torque Smacky said, before he and his fellow jocks burst out laughing. Zim gave them one of his patented glares, which only increased when he suddenly had a flashback to similar events that had happened back at the Academy. Practically every Irken there had been even crueler to him than these humans could ever _hope_ to understand… including Red and Purple, way back before they became Tallest, come to think of it.

Now that Zim thought about it, why had he ever been loyal to those two after everything they had done to him? Heck, one time they had removed his PAK and watched his life-clock tick down just for the fun of it- the only reason he was still alive today was because an instructor had come by at the time and forced them to give Zim his PAK back.

The more Zim thought about it, the more he wondered why he was indecisive about getting rid of them. They had been jerks to him throughout his youth, and really, what had they done for him lately? Besides, he would be a much better Tallest than them- and that wasn't his pride and arrogance talking. The message from his future self proved that.

The warning bell rang just then, and everyone started filing back into the building. As Zim trailed behind them, he thought to himself, 'I'm been a fool to worry about whether or not to eliminate those two. Fate has decreed that they are meant to die, and I am to take their place. And who am I to question Fate?'

With that thought in mind, Zim laughed quietly to himself as he walked back into the Skool, already planning his inauguration speech.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Here's something else I've noticed- when there's no major action, these chapters are a b-tch to write.**

**Anyway, if anyone's wondering why Zim is all of a sudden turning against the Tallest, it's because of this theory I have on Irken psychology: they have a deep-rooted superiority complex. This not only applies to the species as a whole (believing that they're the best in the universe) but also to the individual. Therefore, because Zim is now tall enough to be the Tallest, he believes he is better than Red and Purple. And the knowledge that in a possible future he actually does becomes Tallest is only fuel to the fire.**

**Next chapter: Zim prepares for his conquest, while Jana lays a trap for Dib.**

**Until then, read and review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up, but the spring semester just started at my college, and I've been too busy to write. But enough of my excuses, read on!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Invader Zim, I would have aired it on a channel that wouldn't have cut out all the good stuff. But, I don't own it, so that's not what happened.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Zim's Base, A Few Hours Later_

"I love this show," GIR cooed.

"So I noticed," Jana said dryly as she sat next to the mentally defective SIR unit on the couch. Minimoose floated next to her head, occasionally nibbling from a bag of popcorn that was situated on the top of the couch. Turning to face the floating purple moose, she asked, "So, is there a _point_ to this show? Or does that monkey just stare at the screen for the whole time?"

"Squeak!"

"That's what I thought," Jana muttered, resting her chin in her palm.

Suddenly, the door opened and Zim walked into the house. Jana instantly jumped off the couch and dropped to one knee. Zim smirked as he closed the door behind himself and said, "I could get use to that, you know."

Jana grinned. "Sorry," she said, "It's a force of habit."

"Didn't say I was complaining," Zim said as he removed his disguise, "But now on to business: Did you do as I asked?"

"But of course," Jana said as she stood up and straightened out her cloak, "I observed the human until he left, and then destroyed the ship. There's little-to-nothing left that will be of any use to Dib."

Zim grinned. "Excellent," he said, rubbing his hands together in glee, "But we still need to eliminate the stink-beast before we use the EMP Cannon. After all, if we don't, he'll start running around trying to fight off the invasion, and he'll still become a martyr. And that would defeat the whole purpose of your mission."

The two Irkens stood in silent thought for a few moments, the only sounds in the room being the deep breathing of the Scary Monkey and the occasional crunch of Minimoose and GIR eating popcorn. Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on Jana's face.

"Well," she said, "If you're interested, milord, I think I may have an idea…"

XXXXXXX

_Membrane Household, Several Minutes Later_

Dib's jaw was practically on the floor of the garage as he stared at Tak's ship. Or rather, what was left of Tak's ship. All that remained was a smoldering pile of metal and plastic, small flames still licking up from some parts… those that hadn't been scattered across the room from the apparent explosion, anyway.

"What… how… who…" Dib stammered, unable to form any coherent statements. All he could focus on was the fact that the only piece of viable alien technology he had was gone, and that all his years of hard work on it had just gone up in smoke.

Quite literally.

'How could this have happened?' he thought to himself, 'The ship should have been able to protect itself. No one should have been able to been able to do this. This is impossible!'

Dib tugged at his hair for several moments as anger and frustration welled up inside of him. Finally, it reached a boiling point and he went berserk. "Damn it!" he screamed, grabbing pieces of wreckage and throwing them in every direction. They hit the floor, the burnt-out husk of the ship, the walls, and the stacks of equipment Dib had been using to maintain and experiment on the ship. When those stacks fell over, Dib started grabbing them and throwing them as well.

After a few minutes of this, Dib finally collapsed, chest heaving and angry tears pouring down his cheeks. He simply lay on the ground for a while, until something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Lifting his head and turning it, he caught sight of the security camera he'd installed on the ceiling back when he had first gotten his hands on the ship.

"Oh duh," he said to himself, "I can use the security recordings to find out who did this. And then I'll… I'll…" Dib trailed off as he realized he had no idea what he'd do once he figured out who had destroyed the ship.

"Guess I'll have to play this one by ear," he muttered as he headed out of the garage and towards his room. When he got there, he quickly ran over to his computer and brought up the security images for the time he had been gone.

He found what he was looking for almost immediately: right after he left for Skool, a cloaked figure appeared in the garage. Unfortunately, the camera didn't have audio, so he wasn't able to hear what was said. But the visual was enough- the cloaked figure produced an energy sword and started hacking away at the ship, before throwing something into it that promptly exploded right after the cloaked figure turned and walked out of sight.

Dib blinked and quickly rewound the footage; he'd thought he'd seen something. 'There!' he thought, as he stopped the footage just as the cloaked figure turned to leave. It wasn't a good shot, given the hood of the cloak and the angle of the camera, but the being that had destroyed the modified Spittle Runner was very clearly an Irken. The obvious conclusion hit Dib like a ton of bricks.

"_Zim,_" Dib seethed, spitting the name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth, "I _knew_ you were up to something, and this has got to be a part of it. This other Irken is probably here to help you." Dib paused as another thought came to him, "Then again, maybe she's here to steal your mission like Tak was. Hmm, I guess there's only one way to be sure."

Dib turned to activate his spy cameras in Zim's base, muttering "Please let this work this time," under his breath as he did so. To his slight surprise, instead of static, one of the cameras instead showed Zim in his main control room, sitting in his command chair, grinning evilly whilst looking at something up on one of the computer screens.

"_Excellent,_" Zim was saying, "_Everything is going according to plan. Soon, the EMP cannon shall be complete, and I shall reign supreme over this world. And now that Jana has done her part and destroyed Tak's ship, there is nothing the Dib-Human can do to stop me! Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!_"

"Aha!" Dib said, jumping to his feet and pointing his finger at the screen melodramatically, "I was right! This Jana person must be the one who destroyed the ship, as part of Zim's plan. Well, I'm not going to let this stop me- I'll go to his base and deal with whatever it is he's doing before he has a chance to do it!"

With that heroic monologue done, Dib bolted out of the room, not bothering to turn off his computer. It continued to display Zim laughing, until the screen suddenly flickered, and Zim was merely sitting in his command chair. "_Excellent,_" he said, "_Everything is going according to plan…_"

XXXXXXX

_Zim's Lab, Same Time_

"I should have gone into acting," Zim said as he watched the recording of himself on the computer playing on a loop, "I almost have myself convinced that I'm genuinely gloating over this plan."

Jana nodded. "It is quite impressive, sir," she said, "It is sure to fool Dib." She turned her attention to the computer and asked, "He _will_ see this, won't he?"

"Yes, ma'am," the computer replied, "The recording has been incorporated into the Electronic Security Field. When Dib attempts to spy on the base, this is all that he will see… of course, it's very likely he might notice that it's, I dunno, _repeating_ itself, don't you think?"

Zim merely chuckled. "If I know Dib- and I _do_- the minute he sees this the first time, he'll come running to try and stop me. Especially after seeing what happened to the ship. Now, upload all the schematics for the EMP Cannon to the space station. I'll finish designing it there, then begin the construction phase. Jana, come with me."

The two Irkens walked out of the control room and started walking towards the teleportation pods. "I must admit," Zim said as he strode down the hallway, "That was rather brilliant- and I'm not one to usually say that about other's ideas."

Jana was suddenly very glad for the hood hiding her face, as her cheeks heated up from the compliment. "Why… thank you, master," she said, "I do what I can."

Zim smirked. "Speaking of which, when Dib gets here, feel free to beat him to a bloody pulp," he said. As they reached the room containing the teleportation pods, he held up a finger and said, "But remember- do_ not_ kill him. His life is mine to end, my reward for putting up with him for as long as I have."

"As you wish, my lord," Jana said with a bow.

Zim merely nodded and got into one of the pods. Just before it activated, he said, "And one more thing, Jana. When you have the dirt-monkey restrained, bring him to me. Before I end his pathetic excuse for a life, I want him to watch his world _burn!_"

The teleportation pod then activated, and Zim disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Jana alone in the room. She heaved a sigh, before mumbling, "Anything for you, Zim. _Anything._" She then said in a louder and more clear voice, "Computer, inform me when Dib arrives in the base."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jana turned and walked out of the room, looking for the most strategic place in the base to plan an ambush. A smirk formed on her face as she let out a small chuckle. "Come and get me, Dib," she said, "Come show me what the Hero of Earth can do."

With that said, her chuckling increased, until it was a full-blown evil laugh, which echoed throughout the hallways of the base.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Well, here's a surprise- a chapter that was actually **_**shorter**_** than I thought it would be. Although, this is just plot development, so that shouldn't really be a surprise. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of action soon enough.**

**Next chapter: Jana springs her trap, and Dib gets a taste of the future.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we go people, the first major action chapter of "Shadows of the Future", as Jana attempts to capture Dib so that Zim can conquer the Earth. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Invader Zim and all related characters belong to Jhonen Vasquez and (unfortunately) Nickelodeon.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Zim's Base, Some Time Later_

Dib ducked down behind the fence that surrounded the deformed green house that served as the surface level of Zim's base. The young human had donned a stealth suit, and grabbed one his father's newer inventions: a Stun Gun, which was essentially an overgrown tazer, and should be strong enough short out a PAK and knock the attached Irken unconscious.

Hopefully.

Dib took a deep breath. "Calm down Dib," he muttered, "You've done this a million times. The fact that there's another Irken doesn't change anything- they're all idiots anyway."

With that little bit of self-encouragement, Dib quickly grabbed a rock and threw it over the fence. It bounced off the side of the house, catching the attention of the security gnomes. As they moved to investigate the noise, Dib quickly jumped over the fence and bolted towards the front door of the house. As he'd expected, it was unlocked. He quickly burst through it and slammed it shut behind himself. Dib bent over and panted for breath.

"Squeak!"

Dib shot back up, but calmed down when he saw that it was only Minimoose floating in front of him and giving him a curious look. GIR was sitting on the couch watching the TV, but he looked up when he heard Dib.

"Hi, Bighead Boy!" he shouted with a wave.

"My head's not big!" Dib snapped, before calming himself down and saying, "Look, just tell me where Zim is."

"Master's down in the lab working," GIR said happily, sticking out his metal tongue, "I hope he's making me a cake! I like the ones with nuts and pineapples!"

Dib raised an eyebrow, but shrugged the confusion off- he was used to that kind of stuff from GIR by now. "Okay… I'll just be going then," he said as he headed into the kitchen.

Minimoose watched as the human got into the refrigerator elevator and headed down to the lab. After he disappeared, the moose-shaped super weapon turned towards the ceiling.

"Squeak?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure that we were _supposed_ to let him just go down into the lower levels like that," the computer said, "Now we just let Jana deal with him."

"Squeak!"

"Yeah, I feel sorry for Dib, too."

XXXXXXX

_A Few Minutes Later_

Dib rolled out of the elevator shaft, his Stun Gun at the ready. Seeing that the coast was clear, Dib quickly started making his way down the hall towards the control room. As he neared the room, Dib could just hear Zim's maniacal laughter. Licking his suddenly dry lips in anticipation, Dib let out a battle cry and lunged forward. As he burst into the control room, he pulled the trigger of the Stun Gun on pure instinct, setting forth a bolt of high-voltage electricity…

…Which harmlessly hit the empty command chair and dispersed. Dib blinked in surprise.

"What the Hell?" he asked.

Looking around, Dib saw that the room was completely empty except for himself. Noticing that one of the computer screens was displaying something, he moved closer to inspect it- and gasped when he saw that it was the same thing he'd seen on his spy camera.

"_Excellent,_" Zim was saying, "_Everything is going according to plan…_"

"Son of a bitch!" Dib exclaimed, as his eyes widened in realization, "He recorded that, knowing that it would draw me in. It's a trap!"

"Observant, aren't you?" a voice asked from above him.

Dib's head snapped up. "Oh shit," he said as he saw Jana clinging to the ceiling via her spider legs.

The expletive had barely passed Dib's lips before Jana plunged down on him, spider legs extended. Dib jumped out of the way, just barely missing getting hit by the razor-sharp points. Jana hit the floor feet first, her boots denting the metal plating.

The emerald-eyed female straightened herself and glared at the human who was pulling himself to his feet. "So, you're Dib Membrane," she said, sneering at the name, "It's odd, you don't look _quite_ the way I imagined. I was expecting-"

"If you say something about my head, I swear I'll kick your ass!" Dib snapped, before a confused look appeared on his face. "How'd you know my name?" he asked.

Jana chuckled evilly. "Oh, I know more than that," she said, "I know when and where you were born, I know about all the quirks of your dysfunctional little family, and I know how long you've stood between Lord Zim and his destiny."

Dib blinked. "_Lord_ Zim?" he asked.

Jana ignored the question as she raised her spider legs. "I could even tell you the date of your death- however, that will soon change."

The spider legs suddenly crackled with energy, and Dib rolled out of the way as four energy blasts shot through the air where he had just been standing. He quickly took cover behind a computer console and fired off a blast from his Stun Gun. Instead of dodging, Jana merely shielded herself with her cloak and hit a button on her wrist. The material the cloak was composed of seemed to shimmer for a moment before the bolt of electricity hit it… and dispersed, without having done any visible damage.

"How'd you do that?" Dib asked, his pulse quickening as he realized his only weapon was apparently useless.

"Oh, it's simple, really," Jana said, "I altered the molecular structure of my cloak to absorb the electricity, which is just one of many ways I can alter it. Now then, seeing as I just neutralized your only weapon, perhaps you would consider surrendering?"

Dib glared. "Fat chance, Irken scum!" he snapped. He then threw the Stun Gun at Jana, hoping to have some dumb luck for once and knock her out. However, Jana merely activated her energy sword and swung it, melting the discarded weapon and knocking it aside. She smirked as she turned her attention from the destroyed Stun Gun back to Dib.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that," she said, before launching herself at the human.

Dib yelped as he suddenly found himself dodging swings and swipes from Jana's energy sword and spider legs. He backed away as fast as he could, not even caring where he was going. Suddenly, Jana swung the sword wide, causing Dib to instinctively move to the opposite side- and was slashed across the face by one of the spider legs.

Dib screeched in pain, grabbing his face as blood started running down the side of his head. Blinded by pain, Dib stumbled back to just in front of the elevator. With a sadistic grin, Jana performed a roundhouse kick. Her foot hit Dib square in the chest and sent him flying backwards into the elevator, which promptly closed and descended lower into the base.

"Computer! What do you think you're doing?" Jana said, glaring over her shoulder at the main computer console.

"Prolonging the fight," the computer replied, "This is pretty good."

Jana rolled her eyes. "You've been hanging around GIR too much."

XXXXXXX

Dib pulled some anti-bacterial gauze out of the First Aid kit strapped to the side of his stealth suit, and quickly pressed it against the wound on his face. Hissing in pain, Dib quickly tried to remember what he'd learned in Health class and used it to mentally check the damage.

His eye hadn't been hit, and it didn't look like the spider leg had hit any arteries- he'd probably have bled to death by now if it had. But a vein must have been nicked, considering the amount of blood that he was losing.

"This is _so_ not going the way I pictured it," Dib muttered as he grabbed some bandages and used them to secure the gauze to his face. Suddenly, there was the sound of something slamming into the roof of the elevator. Dib looked up… just in time to watch the blade of Jana's energy sword cut through the roof of the elevator.

"Aw, _damn,_" he said, crawling away from the area where the blade was cutting through in a circular pattern. Just before it cut through completely, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Dib bolted out into the hallway, hoping Zim had left a containment field or something lying around that he could use on Jana.

Speaking of whom, he could hear her hit the floor of the elevator and start following him at a leisurely pace.

"So, this is the Hero of Earth, huh?" Jana's voice echoed down the corridor after Dib, who ducked around a corner, "I was expecting a challenge, not a coward!"

Dib tensed at that, but bit down on the instinctive response. She was trying to lure him out, he knew, but he wasn't going to fall for it. Noticing a bunch of pipes in the wall, Dib quickly ran forward, grabbed hold of one, and started pulling on it.

Fortunately, the pipe- like almost anything else Zim built- was shoddily constructed and almost instantly broke off, releasing a small torrent of steam. Dib quickly backed up and waved a hand in front of his face to keep the steam from blinding him. He then ran down the corridor and pressed himself into an alcove. Between the dim lighting and the stealth suit he was wearing, he was certain he could hide from Jana's sight long enough to ambush her.

The Irken assassin rounded the corner just then, and she paused as she saw the steam shooting out of the broken pipe. With a cock of her head, Jana turned down the corridor and started in Dib's direction. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Jana sang, as a smirk graced her lips. Dib held his breath and tightened his grip on the pipe as Jana came closer and closer to his position. Just as she was about to pass by the alcove, Dib screamed and lashed out with the pipe… which Jana promptly caught in her hand.

Dib's eyes went wide and his mouth went slack. With an evil laugh, Jana pulled back on the pipe, dragging Dib towards her, and then punched him in the face. Hard. Dib lost his grip on the pipe and fell to the ground.

After landing roughly on the floor, Dib looked up at Jana, who let out another laugh as she threw the pipe away. "Oh _please,_" she sneered, "A stealth suit? Irken visual implants can see the whole spectrum- from infrared to gamma rays. I knew where you were the whole time- yet another example of how our technology is superior to yours. Do you really think you have anything at your disposal that can defeat me?"

"Yeah," Dib muttered.

Jana antennae cocked into a confused angle, but then they shot up in surprise as Dib swept his foot out into Jana's legs, knocking her to the ground.

"I have an ego that _isn't_ the size of a gas giant," Dib finished, before throwing himself on top of the female and raining blows down on her.

"You should have just killed me, instead of gloating," he said between punches, "You Irkens are all alike. You have so much pride, you always- OOF!"

Dib was cut off as Jana slammed her knee into his stomach. She then grabbed his arms and flipped him off of her, sending him skidding down the hallway. As Dib staggered to his feet, Jana calmly got to hers, then turned to glare at him.

"I think you'll find that I'm _nothing_ like any Irken you've ever encountered," she said. She then reached down and activated her personal cloak, disappearing from Dib's sight.

Dib blinked in surprise, then quickly spun around, trying to find where Jana had gone. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his neck as something was stabbed into it. Gasping in shock, Dib clutched his neck and staggered as his vision began to blur. Grabbing a wall for support and struggling to stay conscious, Dib looked up as Jana reappeared, an empty syringe in her hand.

"Oh, don't worry," she said as she noticed Dib's panicked gaze resting on the syringe, "It isn't poison, it's just a sedative. Lord Zim wants the pleasure of killing you himself. Now then, sleep. You'll need your rest."

"I'll g-get you for t-this, you bi-bitch," Dib muttered, before his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed to the ground. Jana watched him hit the floor, then she grinned and let out another laugh.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," she said. She then grabbed Dib by the collar of his stealth suit and began dragging him towards the elevator so that she could take him up to the teleportation pods.

She couldn't _wait_ to see the look on Zim's face.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Sorry if this took awhile to get up, but that fight scene took longer to write than I thought it would. But I hope it was enjoyable, and worth the wait.**

**Next chapter: Dib awakes, Jana explains, Zim gloats, and GIR… is random.**

**Read and review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'm going to be honest; this is really just a filler chapter. Even the best stories have some, and besides, I'm trying to boost the length of this story. At the rate things are going, this story will probably be a little shorter than "Reckoning" was, but I don't want it to be by too much. But enough of my ramblings, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own Jana and the EMP Cannon, but everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Zim's Space Station, A Few Hours Later_

Dib blinked as consciousness slowly flooded back to him.

'Ow, my aching head,' Dib thought, as he reached up to rub his sore head. As he did so, he noticed that his movements were very sluggish. 'Great, I've probably got a concussion.'

However, when his vision cleared, Dib quickly realized the real reason why he couldn't move- he was stuck in some sort of energy field, which kept him elevated several feet above the ground. It also seemed to be what was restricting his movement, as he found he couldn't move any of his limbs or his head more than a few inches. The field itself was being generated by two pylons (one on the ceiling and one jutting out of the ground), which were situated in the middle of a large room. Other than that, Dib couldn't really see any details about the room, as the only lighting in the room was the violet glow of the energy field.

"Well, this is just _great!_" Dib said, "Could this day get _any_ worse?"

"Wait a while, human," a familiar voice spoke up, "You haven't seen _anything_ yet."

Dib's eyes widened as Jana stepped out of the shadows, her eyes and face the only things actually visible in the dim lighting. She cocked her head to the side as she smirked at him.

"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you," she said, "That energy field is one way for anything more solid than air. The only way for you to get out is if someone were to let you out… and I don't see that happening any time short of your execution."

Dib glared at the female Irken, wishing very much that he could just throttle her. Instead, he settled for simply asking, "Where am I, anyway?"

"Aboard Lord Zim's space station," Jana replied, "You should be honored to be onboard such a magnificent vessel."

"Again with the 'Lord' Zim thing?" Dib asked, "What are you, his girlfriend or something?"

Jana lowered her head and muttered something Dib couldn't quite hear.

"What was that?" he asked.

Jana looked back up at Dib and glared. "None of your concern, human," she snapped, "But if you must know, I refer to Lord Zim as such because that is what he is- my lord and master. And soon, that will be the same for _all_ Irkens."

Before Dib could question that, light filled the room as a door slid open and Zim strolled in, followed by GIR and Minimoose. Jana instantly dropped to one knee, which caused Dib to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, you're awake," Zim said, sounding slightly upset, "And here I was hoping I'd have to shock you to wake you up." Zim paused, and then a grin plastered itself on his face. "Know what? I think I'll do it anyway."

Zim pulled a small remote out one of his pockets and pressed a button on it. An electrical surge ran through the energy field, shocking Dib with a mild dosage of voltage. Dib grunted in pain, but refused to give Zim the satisfaction of screaming. Zim frowned at this, and after a few moments switched off the electricity and pocketed the remote.

"That the… best you can… do?" Dib asked, gasping the words out through the pain.

This merely caused Zim to smirk. "I see you haven't lost your wit yet. But you will before the end, Dib-Worm. I can promise you that." He then gestured to Jana, who was still kneeling before him. "I see you've met Jana- she's really quite impressive, isn't she?"

Jana smiled sheepishly up at Zim, and Dib repressed the urge to vomit. Instead he simply asked, "So what's her story? The Tallest decide you're not doing your job right?"

Zim's smirk turned into a sneer. "The Tallest?" he asked, "Please. Those fools wouldn't know talent if it bit them on the squeedly-spooch. No, Jana serves me and me alone."

Dib blinked in surprise and stared in confusion. "Since when do you bad-mouth the Tallest?"

Zim's smirk returned. "Since I found out I'm meant to replace them," he replied nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

Jana stood up and turned to look at Dib. "Lord Zim is soon to replace the fools Red and Purple as Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire. Then he shall lead our kind into a Golden Age, an age of Irken dominance over the entire galaxy. And all that stands between him and his destiny… is _you._" As Jana finished that sentence, her emerald eyes narrowed to slits. Dib was suddenly very glad that there was an energy field between the two of them.

"How could you _possibly_ know any of that is going to happen?" Dib asked, "What are you, physic?"

Jana and Zim exchanged looks, and then they both started laughing. GIR soon joined in, while Minimoose made a few squeaking noises that may have been laughs. After a few moments, the two Irkens stopped laughing… but GIR kept going. Zim raised a nonexistent eyebrow at his robotic minion.

"Uh, GIR?" he said, "You can stop laughing now."

GIR ignored his master and continued laughing insanely, pounding the floor with his arms and head.

"Jana, could you?" Zim asked with a sigh.

The female assassin nodded. "With pleasure, milord," she said with a grin. She then stepped forward and picked up the laughing SIR unit. She then held him over her head and threw him out the door. There was a crashing sound as the still-laughing GIR hit something. Minimoose floated over to the door and looked out it, then turned to Jana and opened up the compartment in his body. A robotic arm extended from the opening, holding a sign that said "8.5" on it.

Zim smirked at that, then turned back to Dib, who had an expression on his face that was an odd mix of confusion and humor. Zim opened his mouth to say something, but then a confused look appeared on his face as well. "Um, where was I?" he asked.

"I was asking why you and Jana are talking about things that _could_ happen as if they _had_ happened." Dib said, readjusting himself in the energy field to keep anything from cramping.

"Oh, right," Zim said, before clearing his throat and giving another chuckle, "Jana knows of these things that will happen, because for her, they _already have._" Seeing Dib still didn't seem to get it, Zim shook his head in mock sadness. "Ah, Dib, I'm disappointed in you. You'd think with a head that big, you'd be smart enough to figure out what I'm saying."

Dib glared. "For the billionth time," he snarled, "My head is NOT BIG! And what are you talking about?"

"Well, if I have to spell it out for you," Zim grumbled, although it was obvious that he was enjoying his nemesis' confusion. The Irken leaned forward until he was only an inch or so away from the energy field. "She's from the future," he whispered, then leaned back and waited to see what reaction that would have.

Dib merely blinked as that information settled in, and then said, "That's… impossible. You're insane."

Jana tensed. "You _dare _to insult him, human? I should make you eat your own intestines for that!"

Dib paled slightly at the threat, while Zim merely turned to look at his newest servant and wagged a finger at her. "Uh, uh, uh," he said, "Though I admire your eagerness, Jana, he's mine to kill. Don't ever forget that."

Jana's face flushed and she bowed her head. "Apologies, master."

Zim nodded and turned back to Dib. "As for you," he said, "I'm surprised that you of all people would dismiss something as 'impossible' so quickly, Dib. Surely you remember the time I tried to erase you from existence?"

Dib's eyes went wide as remembrance and realization hit him. Jana grinned as she saw this. "Good, I see you understand now," she said, "Almighty Tallest Zim- Lord Zim's future self- used a Space-Time Object Displacement device to send me, his loyalist servant, back to this point in time, so that I may insure his glorious reign over this galaxy."

"But what do _I_ have to do with any of this?" Dib asked, although he was starting to get a pretty good idea.

Zim merely smirked and pulled the remote back out of his pocket. Dib tensed, but instead of shocking him, Zim just said, "Allow me to show you." He then pointed it at the wall and flicked a switch. With a small rumbling noise, the wall started sliding up, revealing a viewport. The view was rather breathtaking, as the space station was currently over the Pacific Ocean, and that side of the planet was just starting to face the sun.

But Dib's attention was instantly diverted to the other object currently orbiting Earth. It was roughly a third the size of the station, and was of a semi-spherical shape. The rounded half was facing outwards towards space, while the flat side was pointing towards the planet below them. At the moment, it consisted of a skeletal network of metal components being pieced together by numerous bug-like Irken robots. Through the gaps in the incomplete surface, Dib could see canyons of wires, cables, and other machinery, all of which seemed to lead back to a cylindrical tube in the center of the construct.

"Behold," Zim said, "The Electro-Magnetic Pulse Cannon! My crown jewel, as it were. By this time tomorrow, it shall be complete, and I will use it to eliminate the power for the entire planet. Your fellow dirt-worms shall fall into chaos and destroy each other, then the Armada shall come and conquer what's left."

Dib managed to move his head so that he was looking at Zim instead of the viewport. "Okay, so where do I fit into your delusional future history lesson?"

Jana glared. "In my timeline, you go out in a clichéd 'blaze of glory', taking Tallest Red and Purple with you. This allows Lord Zim to ascend to the throne, but also makes you the focal point of a galaxy-wide resistance."

"Really?" Dib asked excitedly.

"Unfortunately," Jana muttered, "That resistance ultimately causes the Empire to collapse. So, Tallest Zim sent me back to see to it that none of that happens."

Dib clenched his fists. "Well, then you wasted a trip," he said, "Because I'm not going to stop until I've defeated _both_ of you. I'll get out of here, then I'll stop that thing-"

"No, you won't," Zim said, baring his teeth, "Like I said, by this time tomorrow, it shall be complete, and I shall use it. And once this _filthy_ planet has begun tearing itself apart," he turned to look Dib in the eye, "I shall take great personal pleasure in doing the same to you."

Zim turned and walked out of the room, Jana following closely behind him. "Take a good last look, Dib," he said over his shoulder, "This shall be the last time you see your world before it is conquered. And that shall be the last thing you every see. I can promise you _that_ as well."

The door then slid shut behind the two Irkens, leaving Dib floating in the energy field, looking out at the Earth, the only sound being Zim's mocking laughter as he disappeared down the hall.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Well, the filler's out of the way. I can promise more action, and soon, but I felt that this chapter was necessary.**

**Next chapter: Dib attempts to escape and stop Zim's plan… but must first get through Jana.**

**Until then, read and review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's another chapter of "Shadows of the Future". Sorry it took so long to get up, but I've been really busy with school.**

**Oh, and in response to those of you who are wondering why Zim (and all villains, really) feels the need to gloat instead of eliminating the one threat to his plans, I have another theory. The same psychological makeup that makes him so ingeniously (and insanely) evil also makes him feel as if it is necessary to explain his plans, so that Dib will appreciate and respect his genius.**

**But enough of my ramblings, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own Jana and the EMP Cannon. Everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Zim's Space Station, Holding Cell, The Next Day_

Dib was physically and mentally exhausted as he watched the Sun rise on what could quite possibly be the last day he would ever see. He had spent hours trying to free himself from the energy field, but the energy particles flowing from the edge of the field towards the center were moving so quickly that Dib couldn't move more than an inch before he was pushed back into place.

So now he just floated there, staring out the viewport at Earth, trying to find a way out of this situation. "Come on, think," he muttered to himself, "This is _Zim_ I'm dealing with, for crying out loud! There _has_ to be a way to get out of here and stop him."

Dib's musings were cut short when the door slid open and Jana walked into the room, a smug look on her face. "Good morning, Earth-Slime," she said, "Ready to watch history unfold… the _right_ way, that is?"

"Not particularly," Dib said, his brown eyes glaring into Jana's green orbs, "Especially since you and I seem to have different ideas of what 'right' is."

Jana merely frowned at Dib and reached into her cloak. Dib tensed, but then blinked in surprise as the assassin pulled out a sandwich. He looked from the article of food to Jana, back to the sandwich, then back to Jana, at which point he raised an eyebrow. "Believe me, I'd much rather let you starve," the Irken said, "But Lord Zim doesn't want you to pass out from hunger during his conquest and ascension."

With that, Jana tossed the sandwich into the energy field, where it floated in front of the captive human. Jana then spun on her heel and started heading out the door, but Dib's voice made her stop short.

"Why are you so loyal to him?"

Jana turned around and gave Dib an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Dib shrugged as much as he could in the field. "Well," he said, "I always just assumed that an Irken's first loyalty was to the Tallest. Not to a washed up soldier with a God-complex."

As he finished saying that, Dib smirked a little as he watched Jana's antennae flatten against her head in anger. She clenched her fists tight, but then took a deep breath and unclenched them. "Nice try," she said, as her antennae started to return to normal, "Get me angry enough to try and kill you myself, so that I'll let the energy field down and you can make an attempt to escape. Too bad for you that I'm not a fool."

"Well, it was worth a shot," Dib mumbled with a frown, before saying, "But my previous statement still stands- Zim might be the Tallest in your future, but right now he's just a deranged Invader."

Jana sneered at Dib, before replying, "So you're saying I should be loyal to Red and Purple? Oh, _please._ Those idiots have been Tallest for over a century now, and they've conquered only a handful of planets. But when Zim becomes Tallest, the Empire experiences a phase of expansion rivaled only by the reign of Tallest Rankor himself!"

By this point, a maniacal look had appeared in Jana's eyes, and Dib half-expected to see her start foaming at the mouth. "You say Zim is deranged," she continued, "but with the full forces of the Armada at his disposal, his destructive genius finally has a creative outlet. Within the first few decades of his reign, we control half the galaxy, and by the end of his first century, all inhabited worlds in the Milky Way are where they belong- under the heel of the Irken Empire!"

The cloaked assassin threw her head back and released an insane cackle. 'Of course,' Dib thought to himself, 'the only Irken who wants to actually work for Zim, and she's a psychotic zealot. It figures.' He turned his attention away from his thoughts and back to Jana as she suddenly stopped and looked him in the eye, her eyes filled with a determined fire.

"And this time, things will be _perfect_," she hissed, "There will be no misguided human to ferment a rebellion against the Empire. My master's glorious reign shall continue forever, and all shall praise him!" The crazy look on Jana's face dissolved, and a more distant look appeared, and Dib realized that she wasn't even talking to him anymore.

"And the best part," she muttered, so low that Dib could barely hear her, "Is that this time, I can be by his side as his magnificent rule spreads out amongst the stars. And he will _finally_ know that there in none more loyal to him than me. He will see that I would truly do anything for him, even change the very fabric of Time itself."

Dib raised an eyebrow as he watched the fantasizing female Irken- who had apparently forgotten he was even there- walk out of the room, humming slightly to herself. As the door closed behind her, Dib said the one thing that came to mind.

"Okay, that was just _weird_."

XXXXXXX

_Station Bridge, A Few Minutes Later_

Jana, still on a bit of a high, strolled onto the bridge. The nearly complete EMP Cannon currently dominated the main viewport; illuminated by the glow of the planet beneath them, it was really a sight to be seen. At the moment, there were still several holes in its outer structure, but that was just to allow the construction drones easy access in and out of the inner workings.

She continued to look out the viewport at the marvelous scene taking place before her- she still found it hard to believe she was _actually_ here, watching history as it unfolded. After a few moments, she turned her attention away from the view and towards the center of the bridge, where Zim sat in his command chair. He was currently engrossed with the schematics for the Cannon, occasionally sending instructions to the drones.

While waiting for him to acknowledge her presence, Jana took a moment to admire the being seated before her. Despite the age difference, she really didn't see any difference between Zim and his future self. His tall, slim figure radiated power and respect; even without the ceremonial armor of the Almighty Tallest, one could still see that he was a force to be reckoned with. And of course, there were his eyes- red orbs that burned with a lust for power. She was always captivated by those eyes, always drawn in by them.

Actually, there was _one_ difference between the two Zims that she could see. Without the effects of age and the burdens of leadership, his face was free of wrinkles and stress lines. Without those marks, Jana had to admit that Zim was actually kind of… cute.

Jana's face heated up as she instantly squashed that thought. 'Do not be a fool,' she thought to herself, 'He is your master, nothing more. Besides, he could have any female he wants. Why would he want you?'

Zim finally looked up from the computer monitors and noticed her standing there. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"No, master," Jana said, bowing her head to hide her darkened cheeks, "I just thought I'd let you know that I've done what you asked and given the human his nourishment… though I _still_ say that it's pointless, since we're going to kill him anyway."

Zim frowned. "I want him to live long enough to watch his world end and all his hard work at defeating me end up being for naught. You wouldn't be questioning me, would you?"

"Never!" Jana said, practically screaming the word, and making Zim flinch slightly. After a few moments, Jana calmed down a little and muttered, "I'm just looking out for your interests."

Seeing the ashamed look on Jana's face, Zim surprisingly found himself feeling guilty. Wanting to alleviate the foreign emotion, Zim quickly said, "I know you are… look, if you're that worried that the Dib-Stink will be problematic, keep an eye on him."

Jana bowed. "As you wish, milord," she said. She then turned and walked out of the room, heading back towards the holding cell. Zim watched her go, cloak fluttering in the air behind her, and found he suddenly felt better for snapping at her. With a sigh, the Invader leaned back in his chair.

"Computer," he said, "Is it just me, or have things gotten much more complicated since Jana joined us?"

"I'd have to agree with you on that, sir," the computer, "But I would _also_ have to agree with Jana- if you're planning to kill Dib, why not do it now? You know, _before_ he has a chance to ruin your plan, like he always does?"

Zim glared at the computer. "This plan can _not _be ruined, Computer. It is my destiny to succeed this day. You heard the message from my future self- but history will now be altered in such a way that Dib will only be able to watch as I destroy his world. Only then, when he sees that he's completely lost and his spirit is broken, will I kill him."

The computer was silent for a few moments, before saying, "Master, while I do not pretend to have a strong understanding of time-travel and all its ramifications, is it not conceivably possible that by attempting to alter history in your favor, you've set in motion events that will not be to your liking?"

The Irken opened his mouth to reply to that… but found that the computer had made a logical point. Could he be making his own future worse instead of better? Was trying to break Dib before killing him too much of a risk?

Zim sat there for some time, contemplating this problem. Then, the solution presented itself.

XXXXXXX

_Holding Cell, A Few Minutes Earlier_

Dib's stomach growled as he looked at the sandwich floating in front of him. He didn't want to accept anything from Zim or Jana- he still had his pride, after all. But he _was _hungry. So, he grabbed the sandwich, and was about to take a bite when the door to the room opened.

"HI, BIG-HEAD!"

Dib would have jumped if he weren't suspended in midair. He turned to look at the door, and found GIR standing there, smiling and waving at him. "Master said I shouldn't bother him and the pretty lady," the deranged robot said happily, "But he didn't say I couldn't visit you! Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee- leprechauns!"

Dib could think of a _lot_ of things he would rather do than be stuck in a room with a robotic maniac… when inspiration hit him like a ton of bricks. A smile appeared on his face as he said, "Hey, GIR. Want a sandwich?"

GIR's eyes seemingly widened as he looked at the food Dib was now holding in front of him. "Is that _tuunnaa?_" he asked, stretching the word out to impossible lengths.

"Yes, it is," Dib said, his smile widening, "And if you want it-"

"Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Tuna, tuna, tuna, tuna, tuna! I LOVE tuna! Tuna's my FRIEND!"

Dib's smile turned into an annoyed frown as he watched the insane SIR unit dance around the energy field, singing about how much he loved tuna. 'How does Zim deal with this guy 24/7?' Dib thought.

"GIR?" he asked. However, GIR ignored the human and kept dancing. "GIR? GIR?! GIR!!!"

At the last shout, GIR finally stopped dancing and turned back to Dib. Pinching the sides of his nose, he took a deep breath and said, "If you want the sandwich, GIR, you have to let me out of here first. Understand?"

"I _do,_" GIR said, nodding like a Bobble Head doll. He walked forward and entered a code into a small keypad set into the side of the pylon beneath the energy field. A few seconds later, the energy field dissipated, and Dib dropped to the floor with a crash. A long stream of curses flew out of his mouth, but was interrupted when GIR grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him frantically.

"Where's my tuna?! I wants the tuna! Tuna, tuna, tuna!"

Dib held out the sandwich, and GIR immediately grabbed it. He then proceeded to eat it like a chipmunk eating a nut. Dib raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to ignore it, and made his way to the door, which had closed after GIR had entered the room. Just as Dib was about to re-open it, he paused as he heard something coming down the hall outside.

He quickly pressed himself against the wall next to the door and waited. He didn't have to wait long, as at almost the exact same moment, the door slid open and Jana walked in.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw that Dib was missing and GIR was sitting in the deactivated energy field, eating what looked like the sandwich she had delivered to Dib earlier.

"What the Hell?" she asked.

She got her answer as Dib let out a battle cry and threw himself at Jana, knocking her to the ground. He began raining blows down on her, but she responded by grabbing his wrists and flinging him off of her. Dib hit the ground hard, and then was kicked hard the ribs. He slid across the room, stopping next to GIR, who had just finished the sandwich. Dib grunted as he pulled himself up, then turned to the SIR unit.

"Mind if I borrow a weapon?" he asked.

"Okey-dokey!" GIR said, a small handheld blaster popping out of his head and into Dib's hand. Jana, seeing this, slapped herself in the head.

"Don't help the enemy, you malfunctioning moron!" she snapped.

That was all she had a chance to say, as Dib quickly leveled the blaster at her and fired. Jana leapt into the air back towards the wall, then kicked off and shot towards Dib, igniting her energy sword as she did so.

Dib rolled out of the way just in time, and the energy sword buried itself in the floor. He started shuffling backwards across the floor, firing the blaster as he did so. Jana pulled the energy sword loose, and batted the blaster bolts away. Grinning demonically, the Irken assassin slowly started walking towards Dib, knocking every shot fired towards the walls, floor, and ceiling. Seeing the distance between them shrinking, Dib suddenly got another idea.

"Hey GIR!" he shouted, "Jana's got more tuna in her cloak!"

Jana blinked in surprise… right before she was tackled by GIR. "Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Tuna! Tuna!" he shouted, tugging at Jana's cloak to try and find the tasty edible fish.

Taking advantage of the situation, Dib got up, bolted out the door, and ran down the hallway. Screaming in frustration, Jana grabbed GIR and threw him into the energy field, which she then reactivated. Seething, she ran out the door and down the hallway in the same direction Dib had gone.

As she ran down the hallway, Jana activated her PAK communicator. "Lord Zim!" she said, "The human's escaped!"

"_What?!_" Zim shouted over the communicator, "_How did this happen?!_"

"You can thank GIR for that," she said, bracing herself for the reaction she knew was coming.

"_Etchuta!!_" Zim cursed, "_Can't that stupid robot do ANYTHING right?_"

Instead of answering that, Jana simply said, "I am in pursuit. He won't get far."

"_Good,_" Zim muttered, before going silent for a moment. Just as Jana was about to close the communication line, he spoke up again, "_Jana, I've made a decision._"

"Yes, sir?"

"_You and the computer are right,_" Zim said, his voice implying he wasn't happy about admitting he was wrong, "_Keeping Dib alive this along has been a mistake. When you find him, have fun if you want- but show no mercy. Am I clear?_"

"Perfectly, milord," Jana grinned as she replied, "Jana out."

She then deactivated the communicator, and gave an extra burst of speed. She was a Shadow, the ultimate predator. And her prey was about to find it out the hard way.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to end this chapter right here- if I were to go on, I'd be detracting from the next chapter. Speaking of which, I'm afraid it'll be a while before I get that up. My college's Spring Break is next week (and only one week) and I'm going to spend it out of town, without access to my computer or the Internet in general. So, I'm sorry to say you'll have to wait.**

**On a different note, I know Jana was kinda Sue-ish in this chapter, but I've got a good reason for it: I wanted to plant a plot point that I intend to follow up on in Part 2 of this trilogy, and this was the only way I could think to do it. So if you want to flame me for it, I won't be mad, but I just wanted to explain myself.**

**Other than that, all I have to say is: Read and Review!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi everyone! Did you miss me? Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up, but as I explained before, I was away for a week for Spring Break. And as soon as I got back, I got absolutely swamped with schoolwork. Add in a mild dose of writer's block, and you get a late update.**

**But enough of my excuses. You want action, so read on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim or any related characters. But I do own Jana and her "toys".**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Jana cursed as she reached an intersection. She looked left down the hallway, and then quickly spun her head around to look the other way. Cursing some more, she realized she had no idea where Dib had gone- and the station's security system wasn't going to be of any use, as GIR had apparently mistaken some important power conduits as giant noodles and had eaten them.

So, Jana needed a way to find Dib, and fast. The longer it took to find him, the more of a chance he had to ruin Zim's plans, and Jana would NOT let that happen. But the station was vast, and there was only one of her… Inspiration suddenly hit her, and with a grin, Jana reached into the subspace pockets of her cloak. When she pulled her hands out, she was holding several small metal spheres.

"Activate," Jana said, tossing the spheres into the air. As they hit the ground, they split open at the equator, the front and back halves separating from each other to reveal the inner workings of the devices. Spider legs unfolded from the opening and lifted the spheres into the air, while the front halves of each popped open to reveal singular purple optics.

The miniature robots looked up at Jana as she said, "Spider drones, spread out. Search the ship and find the human. Go!"

The spider drones chattered and whistled their acknowledgement, then they scuttled off. Some ran off down the hallways, while others pried open ventilation shafts and entered, in order to reach the other levels of the station. Grinning, Jana ran off down one of the hallways, counting on her "pets" to get their jobs done.

XXXXXXX

_Several Floors Below, Same Time_

Dib panted for breath as he leaned against the wall of the corridor. The slash mark on his face was burning because it had yet to be properly treated, and his side was aching from where Jana had kicked him during their second fight. With his luck, that probably meant that his ribs were damaged.

"Pull yourself together," he muttered, "The EMP Cannon's probably almost finished. I've _got_ to stop Zim."

A sudden scuttling sound from behind him made Dib spin around, his stolen blaster at the ready. He didn't see anything in the hallway, but considering that Jana could make herself invisible, that didn't mean anything.

The same sound came again, closer this time. Dib tensed and readied himself to start firing randomly… and then blinked in surprise as a small, spider-like robot came into view, climbing along the wall. Dib relaxed slightly and stared in confusion at the robot, which stared back at him with its own purple eye.

"Uh, hi," Dib said, giving a small wave, "You another one of Zim's robots?"

The spider robot's only response was a short series of beeps and whistles. Dib raised an eyebrow at this, as it reminded him of a robot in some movie he'd seen- but before he could remember where or when, the robot leapt through the air and latched onto his chest.

"Hey! Get off!" Dib shouted, trying to grab the robot. However, it quickly scuttled out of the way of his hand, and then ran up his arm and onto his back. Dib tried grabbing it again, but it kept moving out of his reach. It then ran up to his neck, and lifted one of its forelegs, which started crackling with electricity. It then jammed the appendage into Dib's neck, causing the human to shout in pain.

'Okay,' he thought, 'Now I'm _mad!_'

With a sudden burst of energy, Dib threw himself backwards against the wall, slamming the spider-bot against the harder metal. There was a crunching sound, as the leg the robot had attacked Dib with broke off, and part of its body was crushed. Dib grabbed the stunned robot off his neck and tossed it to the ground. Before it could straighten itself out, Dib aimed the blaster at it and pulled the trigger.

_BOOM!_

The robot blew apart as a laser bolt hit it dead center, sending debris flying. With a grunt, Dib grabbed the leg still stuck into his neck and pulled it out. "That was just annoying," he muttered as he rubbed the sore spot on the back of his neck, "Hope there aren't any more of those things."

With that, he turned and headed down the hallway, trying to find some way of stopping Zim from firing the EMP Cannon.

If he had stayed a few more minutes, however, he would have seen another spider drone emerge from a ventilation shaft in the ceiling. As it hung from the opened grate, it watched Dib disappear around the corner, and then turned to look at its destroyed compatriot. It gave a sad-sounding whistle, but then its simple A.I. refocused on its mission. It quickly determined its position onboard the station and sent that information in a message to Jana.

XXXXXXX

_A Short Time Later_

Dib quickly found a computer terminal and attempted to gain access to it. When it asked for a password, he paused.

'Hmm, what would Zim use as a password?' he thought, before it suddenly hit him.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me," he muttered, before saying each letter out loud as he typed them, "Z-I-M."

"Access granted," the computer chimed, before grumbling, "I _told_ him that was a stupid password. But does he ever listen to me? _No._"

Dib ignored the computer's complaints as he brought up a schematic of the station. An icon in the shape of the Imperial Irken insignia was flashing halfway down the bottom curve of the ship, next to the words, "You Are Here."

"Man, I'm further away from the bridge than I thought," Dib said, noticing how far he was from the spherical section of the station that housed the bridge. Something else occurred to Dib, and he frantically entered a new command into the computer. When the results popped up, he felt the blood drain from his face.

**TIME UNTIL FIRING OF EMP CANNON: 20 MINUTES**

"Shit," Dib groaned, "I'll never get there in time to stop him from firing the Cannon! What am I supposed to do?!"

In frustration, Dib slammed his fist into the console. Hissing in pain, he clutched his aching hand, but then noticed that he had knocked the computer display back to the station schematic, and something on it in particular caught his attention. "That could work," he said softly, before his eyes lighted up in excitement, "Yeah, that could definitely work!"

Dib turned to go… and something just barely missed his head and slammed into the computer console, shattering it. Dib yelped in surprise, then saw a large metal dart sticking out of the busted console. Spinning around, Dib saw Jana standing at the other end of the hallway, one of the sleeves of her cloak pulled back to reveal a device strapped to her arm.

With an evil grin and a flick of her wrist, Jana launched another dart from the device on her arm. Dib jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding getting his head punctured. Before Jana could fire any more darts, Dib pulled back on the trigger of the blaster, sending forth a storm of laser bolts. Jana leapt into the air, her spider legs grabbing hold of the ceiling.

As Dib redirected his fire, Jana activated her energy sword and began batting the laser bolts back at the human. Dib quickly rolled behind the computer console, which absorbed most of the redirected shots. Dib peeked back around the console just in time to see Jana drop from the ceiling- and then activate her personal cloak and disappear from sight.

Cursing, Dib began firing at random, hoping to hit Jana before she could get close enough to him to attack. Unfortunately, a laser blast- no doubt from one of her spider legs- fired from midair and hit the console. The console exploded, sending Dib flying backwards, and knocking the blaster out of his hand. Dib scrambled back to his feet, but was knocked back down as he was slashed across the chest.

"GAAHH!" Dib screamed in pain as he clutched his chest. A long strip of his shirt was burned away, revealing his skin, which was now mostly a deep red with a thin strip of charred black flesh down the middle where the energy sword had made direct contact. As Dib gasped for breath, Jana's cruel laughter filled the hallway.

"You're pathetic," the invisible Irken mocked, "The resistance's historical records and propaganda made you out to be some sort of demigod. But you're just another weak little _worm_. You are not worthy to stand in Zim's way… you're not even worthy to die by his hands."

Dib barely heard any of this, as he was struggling not to go into shock. His vision blurred, but as his eyes started to roll up into his head, he spotted a series of pipes in the ceiling. Pipes that looked just like the one he'd pulled out of the wall in Zim's base during his first fight with Jana…

An idea suddenly sparked in Dib's fuzzy mind, and his eyes snapped wide as he came back to full focus. With a burst of adrenaline-and-desperation fueled speed, Dib jumped to his feet and half-ran, half-stumbled over to his dropped blaster. As Jana let out a surprised gasp, Dib quickly swept the blaster up and fired several shots at the pipes.

The pipes were blown apart, and a torrent of steam burst forward, filling the corridor. "What is this?" Jana demanded, but Dib didn't answer her. Instead, he focused on where her voice was coming from, and gave a grim smile as an outline of a person appeared in the steam.

"Gotcha," he said, before firing the blaster. A bolt struck Jana in the chest, causing her to scream in pain as she was knocked backwards. Dib quickly fired another shot, which hit Jana in the arm, vaporizing the dart-launcher and spinning Jana like a top.

As she hit the ground, her cloak deactivated, and as Dib waved away the dissipating steam, he was able to see the damage he had done. A large section of the front of her bodysuit had been burned away, and the skin on her abdomen had been burned black. Her arm was in even worse shape, as the exploding launcher had torn off a good portion of the skin, revealing the purple-colored muscle underneath.

Despite being in an enormous amount of pain, Jana managed to partially lift herself up and balance herself on her good arm, which was still gripping her energy sword. "You will… _pay_ for… this," she managed to wheeze out.

"I don't think so," Dib said, aiming the blaster at her head. Jana merely stared at the barrel of the weapon pointed at her, not even flinching as Dib pulled the trigger… and nothing happened.

Blinking in surprise, Dib rapidly pulled the trigger several more times, but the weapon wouldn't fire. Ignoring her agony for a moment, Jana let out a cackle. "Looks like… your battery… ran out," she sneered, as her spider legs once again crawled out from the folds of her cloak.

Cursing, Dib dropped the blaster and ran as fast as he could- which wasn't saying much, considering his injuries- down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Jana grunted in pain as she used her spider legs to pull herself to her feet. Her left arm dangled uselessly by her side, her PAK rerouting all its energy to try and fix the massive wounds on the limb, while it deactivated the nerve endings in the arm, stopping Jana from feeling any pain. 'All for the best,' she told herself, 'Pain is but a distraction. Ignore it and focus. Lord Zim is counting on you. Do not fail him!'

With that thought, Jana suddenly found herself with an extra boost of energy. She limped down the hallway after Dib, not even noticing the sign she went past, which stated what lay at the end of this particular corridor:

'**ESCAPE PODS. EMERGENCY USE ONLY.**'

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: And I'll end that right there. Sorry if it's kind of abrupt, but it was the only place I could think to end the chapter- otherwise I'd have been going on forever and I NEVER would have gotten this chapter up. Besides, this gives you all a chance to ponder what Dib's plan to stop Zim is…**

**Anyway, read and review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N 1: To those who have me on alert, sorry about the double announcement. I accidentally put up the wrong chapter, so I had to take it down, and post the right one. Sorry for any confusion.**

**A/N 2: Okay, I know you all probably want to lynch me for not updating in over a month, but I have very good reasons. First of all, I've had several big projects for school all due around the same time; meanwhile, I'm Beta-ing a Transformers story, and I've found an incredibly well-written (and long) Fairly OddParents/Danny Phantom crossover over on DeviantArt that I've gotten hooked on.**

**But enough of my excuses - I'm back now, and I can only hope that this chapter is worth the wait.**

**Disclaimer: I own the plot and all original concepts. Everything else is copyrighted to Jhonen Vasquez.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Space Station Bridge_

Zim sat in his command chair, Minimoose floating beside him and several holograms displayed on the console before him. The main screen showed a view of the Earth from the EMP Cannon, while others showed various graphs and data that would have gone over the heads of even the smartest of Earth's scientists. As he read through this data, Zim's lips curled up into a smirk.

"Excellent," he mused, "Fifteen minutes and my destiny shall be assured. I need to remember to record this for future reference. Maybe I'll have a holo-movie made about this day. Of course, I should probably leave out the stuff about the time-travel…"

"Squeak!" Minimoose interjected. Zim looked up at his hovering servant and frowned.

"No, I'm not worried," he replied, "Why should I be?"

"Squeak!"

Zim snorted. "Dib? You think I should be worried about _Dib?_ Ha! He's probably dead by now anyway."

It was at this point that the computer got involved. "Uh, actually, he's kinda not."

Zim lifted his antennae in confusion. "Jana hasn't killed him yet? What, is she trying to enjoy herself or something?"

"Somehow I don't think she's enjoying herself, sir."

The Invader merely glared at his cryptic computer and activated his communicator. "Jana," he said, "Report."

After a few moments of silence, the sound of heavy breathing came over the communicator, and the time-displaced assassin responded.

"_Yes, milord?_" Jana asked, her voice sounding strained.

Zim's antennae returned to their confused position at the sound of his servant's voice. "Are you alright?" he asked, slightly surprised when he realized there was actual concern in his voice.

"_Just some… minor injuries… master,_" Jana panted, "_I… underestimated the… human. It won't… happen again. I am still… in pursuit. He will… not escape. Jana out._"

The line went dead, and Zim blinked in confusion, before looking up at the console. "Computer, what exactly happened?"

Instead of responding with words, the computer pushed aside the data and the view from the Cannon, and pulled up security footage of Dib and Jana's fight. Zim watched in fascination, rather enjoying the parts where Jana nearly killed the human, and cringing when she nearly had her arm taken off by the destruction of her dart launcher. Suddenly, a thought hit him, and his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Computer," he growled, "If you saw all of this happening, why didn't you tell me?!"

"You didn't ask."

Muttering obscenities, Zim clenched his fists tight enough that they almost drew blood. He then took a deep breath, and then coldly ordered, "Begin powering up the Cannon."

When nothing happened, Zim glared at the computer again. "Problem?" he asked.

"Well," the computer started slowly, "I was thinking that maybe we should postpone firing the Cannon temporarily. At least until-"

"Postpone?" Zim echoed, "You want Zim to postpone his destiny?!"

"Master, all I'm saying is that given the fact that the human is still on the loose - and that he has a tendency to ruin your plans - perhaps it would be wise to focus our attention on eliminating him before we continue on."

"No," Zim snapped, "I will not give Dib the satisfaction of delaying my conquest. Jana will deal with him; we stay on schedule."

"But, master-"

"No!" Zim roared, slamming a fist onto the console, "I have seen the way my future is meant to play out, and it _will_ be done. Now, began firing procedures, or I will shut down your A.I. programming and do it myself. Understood?"

The computer was silent for a moment, but then answered, "Yes, master."

Zim smirked as he heard the fear underlining the computer's voice, and that smirk widened as a new graph appeared on the screen. A red bar representing the EMP Cannon's firing power slowly started filling up, moving in sync with the timer in the upper corner of the screen.

_14:00_

_13:59_

_13:58_

_13:57_

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod Corridor, Same Time_

Dib panted for breath as he reached the hallway containing the station's escape pods. A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he clutched a hand to the burn wound he had received from Jana's energy sword. Steadying himself against the wall with his other hand, Dib took several deep breaths, once again willing himself to stay conscious.

'Can't stop now,' he said to himself, 'Got to keep going.'

Pulling himself together, Dib quickly limped over to the control panel next to one of the escape pods. Praying that everything was the way he remembered it from the first time he'd been on this ship, he punched in the command to open the doorway to one of the pods. As the hatch hissed open, Dib let out a small sigh.

"So far, so good," he muttered.

"Human!"

"Aw, damn it!" Dib cursed as he turned around to find Jana standing at the entrance to the corridor, her left arm hanging limply at her side, and the energy sword burning brightly as she held it in her good hand.

"Going somewhere?" she asked.

Dib quickly looked her over, taking in the wounds and the exhausted look in her eyes, and then said the first thing that popped into his head, "Geez, you look like you're about as ready to collapse as I am."

"I am a Shadow, I do not allow pain to slow me," Jana sneered, although her voice wavered slightly, "Now, be a good little monkey and hold still so I can kill you."

"Yeah, I'd love to," Dib said sarcastically, "but I've got to go blow up your boss's toy. Bye."

Dib gave a small wave, and turned to enter the pod – but then one of Jana's spider legs extended and fired a blast of energy. Dib instinctively jumped to the side, gasping in pain as the sudden movement agitated his wounds. Jana chuckled slightly, watching as Dib struggled to get back to his feet.

"Once again, you demonstrate the inferiority of your species," she said, shuffling forward, "An Irken wouldn't let such a lesser wound slow them down. And yet, you still think you can deny my master what is rightfully his. You really are _pathetic._"

"_I'm_ pathetic?" Dib asked, "I'm not the one with fantasies about getting into Zim's pants."

Jana's eyes went wider than what was normal for an Irken, and then they narrowed to slits while her face turned practically black with rage and indignation. "How _dare_ you?!" she snarled.

With a wild shriek, Jana threw her energy sword, which flew through the air straight at Dib. The young human yelped and jumped out of the way, once again causing his wounds to practically scream in protest, as the blade of the energy sword hit the wall and sank in. Before Dib could reorient himself, Jana ran up and grabbed him by the collar.

Practically foaming at the mouth, Jana slammed Dib into the wall, then pulled back and slammed him into the wall again. As Dib's vision blurred, his mind raced to try and find a way out of this situation.

'I don't have time for this.'

A thought hit him just then, and as Jana pulled him towards her again, Dib threw all the strength he could muster into a kick, which he aimed directly at the exposed charred flesh on her chest. As his boot made contact with the damaged skin, Jana screeched in agony and dropped him. Dib hit the floor, and quickly scrambled back to his feet as Jana doubled over in pain. Taking full advantage of the situation, Dib quickly punched Jana in the jaw, knocking her to the ground.

"Love to stay and chat," he mumbled, as he hobbled into the open escape pod, "But I've got to go piss off Zim."

Snarling obscenities in a combination of English and Irken, Jana used her good arm to push herself back onto her feet, and then thrust her spider legs forward. Unfortunately for her however, Dib had already managed to close the pod. Seconds later, it ejected.

"Oh no," Jana hissed, "You're not escaping me that easily, Earth-monkey."

She then yanked her energy sword out of the wall, deactivated and pocketed it, and then made her way to the next available pod.

XXXXXXX

_Space Station Bridge, Same Time_

"Escape Pod 1 launched," the computer announced.

Zim looked up from writing the speech he was planning in preparation for his coronation as Tallest, and raised his antennae in confusion. "Was GIR messing with those things again?" he asked.

"Nope," the computer said, "He's still in the holding cell. See?"

One of the side monitors on the console switched to security footage of the holding cell, showing GIR still floating in the energy field. He was also apparently enjoying himself, as he was laughing while spinning himself around and around in midair. Zim sighed.

"Minimoose, go let him out," he ordered.

"Squeak!" Minimoose replied, as he turned and floated out of the room.

Meanwhile, Zim turned his attention to the escape pod, which was now visible from the bridge's main viewscreen. His lips pulled back in a sneer as it suddenly occurred to him who must be onboard.

"Dib. Trying to run away are you? You must have been more afraid of Jana than I thought."

"Uh, sir?" the computer interrupted Zim's gloating, "He's not heading towards Earth."

Zim blinked in surprise. "What do you mean he's not…" he trailed off in thought, and then jumped to his feet as realization hit him. "No, no, no! He wouldn't dare!"

But Zim denying it didn't change facts – Dib was heading straight towards the Cannon. Zim was about two seconds away from heading down to the hanger, jumping into the Voot, and dealing with Dib himself, when the computer made another announcement.

"Escape Pod 2 launched."

Confusion once again replaced Zim's anger, but then a smirk graced his face. "Jana," he chuckled, "Good girl. Do me proud." He paused, then said, "Computer, I'm letting Jana handle this. But if at any point it looks like she's losing control of the situation, lock onto Dib's pod with the station's ion cannons and blow him to hell."

"Yes master," the computer said, beginning to power up the weapons installed on the station's outer hull. As it did so, Zim sat back down in his chair and steeped his fingers together. Images flashed through his mind of Dib's pod being destroyed, either by Jana's pod or the ion cannons, and the human exploding from decompression. This brought on a series of laughs, as Zim leaned back in his chair and once again turned his attention to the firing clock.

_10:15_

_10:14_

_10:13_

_10:12_

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod 1, A Few Moments Later_

As Dib neared the Cannon, he quickly checked the control board. "Come on, come on, where is it," he muttered angrily, before smirking, "Ha! Gotcha!"

Just as he remembered from the first time he'd been held captive on Zim's space station, and Gaz had had to save him, the escape pod was equipped with a weapon system. Gripping the joystick that controlled the laser turrets attached to the sides of the pod, Dib increased the pod's speed, accelerating towards the Cannon and quickly going over the plan in his head.

'Get inside the superstructure and blow up everything that looks even slightly important. Shouldn't be too hard.'

It wasn't the best plan in the world, but he didn't exactly have time to come up with something better. He had less than ten minutes before the Cannon powered up and fired, and if that happened, then Zim would win. He had to do whatever it took to prevent that.

A warning alarm suddenly rang through the cockpit, pulling Dib out of his thoughts. He looked out through the viewscreen and cursed when he saw what set it off. The construction drones, either on a signal from Zim or from a preprogrammed response, were breaking away from the Cannon and heading right towards him.

Flipping the cover off of the joystick's firing trigger, Dib quickly moved the holographic targeting reticule over the nearest drone. As soon as it flashed from red to purple to indicate that the laser turrets were locked onto the drone, he pressed down on the trigger. Multiple bolts of energy fired from the turrets, streaking in flashes of violet light towards the drone. Before the drone could move, the laser blasts reduced it to ash and smoldering pieces of debris.

Giving a small cheer, Dib moved his attention to the other drones and fired as fast as he could. The drones, being designed primarily for construction and not for actual combat, were quickly wiped out. With a small sigh of relief, Dib angled the pod so that he was gliding over the surface of the Cannon, and began looking for a breach in its metal skin, someplace where he could reach its vulnerable components.

But his priorities immediately changed when something hit the side of the pod, sending it spinning. Dib managed to stop the spin, but then the pod was hit again, and was sent skittering across the surface of the Cannon. Red emergency lights filled the cockpit, and what sounded like a million different alarms started going off. Dib waved away the smoke coming from the sparking console, and grimaced when he read the monitor.

**MAIN POWER TO WEAPONS AND ENGINES OFFLINE. ATTEMPTING TO REROUTE EMERGENCY POWER.**

"What the Hell hit me?" Dib practically shouted to the console, not caring that it wouldn't answer. Then he looked out the viewscreen, and felt the blood drain from his face. Another pod was floating a few yards away from his, its laser turrets still glowing with excess energy. And Dib had a pretty good idea who had pulled their trigger.

His suspicions were, to his further panic, confirmed when a holo-screen popped up on the viewscreen, and Jana's smirking visage glared down at him.

"Hello, Dib," she said, a low growl accompanying her words, "And goodbye."

With that said, the holo-screen closed, and then the laser turrets started glowing with energy. And after the few seconds necessary to gather the proper charge, they then fired, sending plasma-based doom straight towards Dib's immobilized pod…

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: I'm actually rather proud of that ending – I usually can't set up cliffhangers like that.**

**I was planning on this being the last chapter (not counting the epilogue), but it seemed more dramatic to me to split it in half. This chapter had Dib and Jana's last physical fight of the story, while next chapter will have their space fight. Plus, this part sets up the countdown until it's too late for Dib to stop Zim from firing the Cannon.**

**Anyway, I once again apologize for the late update, and hope you all enjoyed the chapter.**

**Read and review!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, here we go. The last action chapter of "Shadows", and it didn't take nearly as long as last time – which is strange, considering that for that Transformers story I mentioned last chapter I've been promoted from Beta to Co-Writer.**

**But, I digress. On with the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own Jana, the EMP Cannon, and the plot. Everyone and everything else belongs to the mind of Jhonen Vasquez.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Escape Pod 2_

Jana grinned from antenna to antenna as her shot headed straight towards Dib's escape pod. But then, seconds before the plasma bolts could vaporize the annoying human, the pod's braking thrusters fired, moving it backwards enough so that the attack just barely missed and hit the hull of the Cannon. The force generated from the resulting explosion sent the pod bouncing further away, and before Jana could get another lock on it, its engines flickered to life and it sped away.

Cursing, the assassin moved to follow her prey, giving a small hiss of pain as the sudden movement of the ship caused her damaged arm to slam into the console – even though her PAK had deactivated the nerve endings in the damaged tissue, the surrounding nerves were still quite alive. Ignoring the pain, Jana increased the speed of her pod, quickly closing the distance between her and Dib's damaged vehicle.

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod 1_

Dib flew the pod as fast as it could go. Unfortunately, being reduced almost to emergency power meant that that was not nearly as fast as it could have been. As if to remind him of the low amount of energy remaining in the pod's generator, the cockpit lights flickered and almost went out.

"Come on," he muttered to himself, "Think. There has got to be a way to beat her."

Unfortunately, Dib's mind was refusing to cooperate. He was running purely on adrenaline and fear, his "fight-or-flight" instincts kicking in; even his miraculous escape from Jana's last attack had been a coincidence. He had panicked as he saw the plasma bolts heading towards him and begun hitting buttons on the damaged control console. It had been by sheer luck that he had hit the control for the braking thrusters, and even more so that there was still enough power for them to work.

But Dib needed more than luck now. He needed a plan, and Jana wasn't exactly giving him time to think. As evidenced by the plasma bolts she was raining down on his pod.

_BOOM!_

Speaking of which…

Dib quickly swerved the pod to the side, as a plasma bolt exploded only a few feet away, causing the pod to shake. Another bolt overshot, exploding right in front of him. Dib cursed and pulled back on the joystick, sending the ship shooting upwards – however, that didn't do much good, as debris from the explosion followed him upwards and impacted the rear of the pod, worsening its already damaged state.

Jana's pod shot by through the space Dib's pod had just been in, and quickly turned around so that the two pods were facing each other. Dib quickly checked the monitor on the console, and cursed again when he saw that power to the weapons still wasn't restored – it was close, but still not there. Before he could make another move, however, a holo-screen appeared on the viewscreen, and Jana glared down at him.

"You can't run from me, monkey," she snarled, "I spent over a century in training to become a Shadow. I am an extension of my master's will, and I cannot be stopped."

"Really?" Dib asked, in a forced casual tone. He was looking Jana in the eye, but kept glancing at the console. "I would think being a part of Zim's will would make you easier to beat."

Jana growled. "In a few minutes, your planet will be plunged into darkness and anarchy," she hissed, "My master will reign supreme over the universe, and there's nothing you can do to stop him."

"Wanna bet?"

Jana blinked in confusion, and then cursed when Dib suddenly lunged forward and hit the firing trigger. Multiple plasma blasts shot forward, and Jana barely managed to avoid most of them. Fortunately for Dib, a few of the blasts did manage to make contact, and Jana lost one of her engines and a couple of her laser turrets.

The pod was sent spinning away, and Dib made a quick exit. He needed to get rid of Jana and _fast._ Otherwise, he wouldn't have a chance of stopping Zim from firing the Cannon. Behind him, Jana managed to get her pod back under control, and quickly began chasing him again. As plasma bolts shot past his ship, Dib quickly said a small prayer.

"If there really is a God up there, I could use a hand right about now!"

XXXXXXX

_Space Station Bridge, Same Time_

Zim watched, with an evil smirk plastered on his face, as Jana chased Dib around the Cannon.

Normally, he would have been upset that someone else was trying to kill _his_ rival, but there was something so… _satisfying_, with watching Jana exercise her skills. He had to admit, he had been impressed with her since the moment they'd met. After all, what was there not to be impressed with? The sheer ferocity of her attacks put her in a class all of her own, but it was more than that. What really appealed to Zim was the grace with which Jana moved - when she really got into a fight, she moved so swiftly it was as if her weapons were an extension of her body. And her body itself moved as if it were liquid; she deftly weaved around her opponents and struck before they knew what hit them. It was truly the most beautiful thing a true soldier could ever hope to see…

'Why is it so hot in here all of a sudden?' Zim asked himself, as he pulled on the collar of his shirt. 'I should remember to run a diagnostic on the environmental controls later.'

"Master, is everything alright?" the computer asked.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine," Zim muttered, as he waved a hand dismissively. He shook his head to clear it, and then refocused on the matter at hand. After checking the timer to see how much longer it would take for the Cannon to power up, he ordered, "Move the Cannon in position to target the Dib-Stink's home city."

"Why? It'll still lose power when we fire the Cannon, along with everything else in a hundred-mile radius of the blast zone, even if we don't hit it directly."

"True," Zim nodded, "But the areas we hit directly with blasts from the Cannon will suffer more damage when their power systems overload. And if I can't destroy Dib himself, then I'll settle for destroying everything and everyone he holds dear. Now, do as I say!"

"Yes sir," the computer replied, as it sent the Cannon the command to reposition itself.

_7:00_

_6:59_

_6:58_

_6:57_

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod 1, A Few Moments Later_

Dib dodged another plasma blast, and just as he turned around to return fire, something happened that immediately caught both combatants' attention. The Cannon's surface started shaking, and a few yards to the starboard side of Dib's pod two large metal hatches swung up, revealing some sort of opening.

As Dib and Jana watched, a large tube emerged from the opening, until it was half a mile high. When it was done ascending, the top quarter of the tube bent (as easily as if it were made of rubber instead of metal), until the tube was in the shape of an inverted L. Suddenly, a torrent of ionized flame burst out of the opening at the end of the tube and Dib realized what it was – a giant thruster engine.

Turning his gaze away from the engine, Dib saw several others emerging from other spots spaced evenly around the Cannon and activating. After a few seconds Dib realized something else as well: the Cannon was moving, its angle changing so that the center of its flat side was aimed at a different part of the planet than before.

"Do you see now?" Jana's voice asked. Dib jumped; he hadn't noticed the holo-screen pop up.

"See what?" he asked, tightening his grip on the maneuvering and firing controls.

"The genius of it all," Jana replied, a grin forming on her face. She nodded her head off of the screen towards the rotating space weapon they were hovering over. "The EMP Cannon is the _perfect_ weapon. Its armor is indestructible, its energy source only runs out every half-century, and as you can clearly see, it is not a stationary target. Lord Zim has covered every possible angle in order to perfect this device. Do you _really_ think you stand any chance of destroying something like this? You impudent primate, you are so pathetic…"

Dib had stopped listening halfway through Jana's rant; he could tell right from the start of the speech that she would probably be going on for awhile. He'd known that her blind worship of Zim, combined with the Irken race's apparently inbred egotism, would cause her to stop and gloat at some point, and Zim's apparent victory was as good a time as any.

The good news was that this predictable attitude was buying him time to plan his attack. The bad news was that it was buying him more time overall – he had maybe five-and-a-half minutes maximum before Zim fired the Cannon. He needed to make a move _now,_ or it wouldn't matter; Earth would be thrown back to the Dark Ages and left completely vulnerable to invasion.

Sweat poured down his brow as he quickly swept his gaze around his surroundings in order to find something he could use to his advantage. His eyes came to rest on the raw energy pouring out of the engine nearest him, and then they widened as an idea hit him. Had he been in a cartoon, a light bulb would have appeared over his head.

"Let me ask you something," he said almost nonchalantly, cutting off Jana.

Her green eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at him and said, "And what might that be? To spare your pathetic life?"

"Nope," Dib said, a smirk appearing on his face, "I was just wondering why, if Zim's such a genius, it's taken him this long to take over the world? I mean, he's been here for six years – shouldn't he have come up with something like the Cannon before? Heck, I think that the best plan he had before this one was the time he fused me with the DNA of bologna, and I managed to turn that against him. So really, how smart can he be?"

"Enough!" Jana snarled, "You have insulted my master for the last time human! I'll tear you apart and feed your remains to that stupid robot!"

Dib's smirk widened – she was seriously pissed, which meant she wouldn't be thinking clearly. "You're going to have to catch me first."

With that said, Dib quickly spun the pod around and headed straight towards the main shaft of the thruster engine. Jana followed close behind, firing every weapon turret she had left. Dib dodged as best he could in his pod's damaged state, and rotated his own turrets so that they were aiming back at Jana.

The two of them traded plasma blasts as they neared the engine. But as he neared the surface of the giant tube, Dib deactivated the weapons and transferred all of the pod's remaining power to the engines. He then pushed them to their maximum speed, sending the pod skimming around the circumference of the thruster, with barely a foot of space between the pod and the thruster's surface.

Jana fired a few more shots, but Dib didn't bother to try and avoid them – at the speed he was going, they were bound to miss anyway. Besides, he couldn't afford to move in anything but a straight line. If he was right, this maneuver should allow him to slingshot away from Jana and give him the breathing space he needed to pull off the next part of his plan.

As soon as Dib saw that he had almost made a 360-degree trip, he braced himself. The moment he neared his starting point, he quickly veered away from the engine. As he had expected, the move he had just pulled off gave him enough extra momentum that, combined with his pod's engines burning at full-speed, sent him flying away from the Cannon's king-sized engine.

After giving himself a few seconds, Dib hit the braking thrusters and then turned the pod around so that he was looking at the engine. Jana's pod came around the engine a few seconds afterwards, but instead of pursuing, it stopped, directly opposite of Dib's pod. Its engines went dead, at the same time that its weapon turrets began glowing with energy.

Dib knew exactly what Jana was doing. Just as he had transferred all of his pod's power to the engines, she was transferring all of hers to the weapons to try and eliminate him… which was just what he wanted.

"I've had enough of this," Jana hissed on the holo-screen, "Go to hell, human."

Jana fired, releasing a massive burst of plasma that shot through space straight at Dib's pod. Unfortunately for her, Dib rolled out of the way at the last second, moving his pod higher up. Now, instead of being directly opposite of Jana's pod, Dib was staring straight at the flames being emitted from the thruster engine.

Dib's grip on the firing controls tightened, and his gaze momentarily flickered from the viewport to the holo-screen. He allowed himself a grim smile when he saw Jana's startled appearance.

"Ladies first," he said in response to her previous statement, before pressing the firing trigger.

A blast of plasma shot forward, quickly closing the gap between the pod and the engine. As soon as he saw that the blast was on track, Dib turned the pod around and increased the already sizeable distance between himself and the engine.

"No, no, no!"

Jana had apparently realized what he was doing; she was attempting to move her pod away from the engine as well, but between her earlier wastage of power and the pod's proximity to the engine, it was too late. The plasma bolts entered the engine, causing the flames to flicker momentarily… and then the plasma ignited the fuel within the engine.

_BOOM!!!!!!_

The engine blew apart in a blindingly bright flash of light, a massive fireball shooting upwards in its place and sending wreckage flying in every direction. A massive piece hit Jana's fleeing pod, smashing its remaining engines and sending the pod flying out of control. It hit the surface of the Cannon and bounced off, flying past Dib's pod and out into space.

"I'll get you for this, you shaved ape!" Jana snarled, "Do you hear me?! This is no longer merely a matter of serving the master's will; this is personal! I will make you suffer! I will-"

Dib deactivated the holo-screen, and spared a moment to watch the pod containing a pissed-off Irken assassin spinning off into the distance. But he didn't have time to admire the view – he had less than four minutes before the Cannon fired. Gunning the engines, Dib headed towards the still burning ruins of the engine. As he'd thought, a hole had been blown in the surface of the Cannon that went all the way into the interior of the giant weapon.

'This is it,' he said to himself, 'my last chance to save the Earth. Luck's gotten me this far, let's hope it lasts just a little bit longer.'

Taking a deep breath to ready himself – and ignoring the pain this brought on from the wound on his chest – Dib flew the pod into the hole.

XXXXXXX

_Space Station Bridge, Same Time_

Zim bit down on his knuckle, fighting down the urge to scream out loud. So, he settled for screaming in his head instead.

'This cannot be happening! Jana's supposed to be the best, and the Cannon's supposed to be indestructible! This wasn't supposed to happen!'

Several colorful words in both Irken and English escaped from Zim's mouth as he pulled his hand out and slammed it into the console. The fist hit so hard that the metal crumpled and sparks shot out from the keyboard as it shattered.

"Computer!" he shouted, "Engage emergency protocols and speed up the firing procedures!"

"Master, I don't see how that will do any good," the computer replied, "Dib's inside the superstructure. He could very well destroy the Cannon at this point."

"No he cannot!" Zim snapped, denial dripping off his words, "I put too much hard work into this weapon for it be destroyed before by a pitiful _human_. Now, engage the emergency protocols so I can fire on the Dib-Smellie's city and the surrounding area!"

"What difference will that make?"

"I'm pissed, so destroying things sooner will make me feel better! Now do it!"

A few moments of silence later, and then Zim let out a small chuckle as he watched the Cannon enter the final stage of firing preparation.

In the center of the flat half of the Cannon, six panels lifted up and away from each other, revealing a hexagonal opening. Once all the panels had gone completely vertical, a large hollow tube emerged from the opening. Unlike the giant thrusters, this tube was made of a clear glass-like material, with purple metal rings spaced evenly across its length. Energy began crackling between the end of the tube and the surrounding panels as the main reactor in the core of the Cannon prepared to fire.

A few more seconds, and a good portion of the Earth would essentially be thrown into an abyss of darkness. It wasn't _exactly _what Zim's destiny was supposed to be… but at the moment, he didn't care.

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod 1, Same Time_

Dib swerved through valleys of circuitry and support beams, occasionally firing off a shot at anything that was in his way or looked like it was important. But he was trying to conserve power – according to the pod's control console, he was now running on emergency power. He only had enough power left for a few strong shots, and he was saving those for the Cannon's main power generators.

Now, if only he could _find_ the generators…

A thought hit Dib just then, and he quickly typed a command into the console. As he'd hoped, the pod had a connection with the computer onboard Zim's space station. And, to his further good luck, the computer seemed to be too busy arguing with Zim over something to notice Dib snooping around his files.

After a few seconds, Dib found what he was looking for – blueprints for the Cannon. And according to what he was looking at, he was almost right on top of the generators. But before he could move the pod towards them, he noticed the timer in the corner of the screen.

_3:10_

_3:09_

_3:08_

_..._

Dib blinked as the timer suddenly disappeared. "What the?" he blurted out, before the screen flashed red and a message appeared.

**EMERGENCY FIRING PROTOCOLS ENGAGED. FIRING PROCEDURES ADVANCED.**

The message disappeared, and a new timer popped up.

_1:00_

_0:59_

_0:58_

_0:57_

"Oh, come on!" Dib shouted, "Can't I ever catch a break!"

He then moved all power that wasn't being stored in the weapons turrets to the engines and gave them everything he had. The pod flew through the interior of the Cannon, until it finally reached the large chamber at the center of the construct.

Dib couldn't help but let out a whistle of appreciation at the sight that greeted him. A massive metal cylinder was suspended in the middle of the chamber, held in place by several pylons that extended from the walls of the chamber. Giant cables - each containing thousands of computers' worth of circuitry - virtually grew out of openings in the walls (including the one Dib had just flown through) and joined together in a huge bundle at one end of the cylinder. From the other end extended a glass-like tube, which exited the chamber through an opening at the end opposite that of the cylinder.

Energy crackled around the tube, and the generator began humming as it built up power for an attack. Dib cursed as his gaze once again flickered to the timer.

_0:31_

_0:30_

_0:29_

_0:28_

Adrenaline and desperation coursing through his body, Dib let out something akin to a battle cry and locked his weapon turrets onto the generator. With a pull of the trigger, half a dozen plasma bolts shot forth and slammed into the cylinder. There were several small explosions, but when the smoke cleared, the only visible damage was a crack in the metal skin of the generator.

Dib's eyes widened, and he desperately pulled on the trigger again. But the only response this got was a message on the console screen stating that the weapons were out of power.

"No, damn it! Not now!" Dib shouted as he angrily hit the console

Just then, a glow filled the chamber. Dib gasped as he saw why – the crack in the cylinder was widening, and several more were appearing, releasing an ominous glow as energy spilled out through the new openings. Lightning-like bolts of energy shot out and struck everything in reach: the support beams, the cables, the firing tube, even the cylinder itself.

The console screen once again flashed red as a new message popped up.

**WARNING. CRITICAL SYSTEMS OVERLOAD. THE EMP CANNON WILL SELF-DESTRUCT. WARNING…**

"Okay, time to go!" Dib said, heading towards the opening that the tube exited out of – it was his only way out.

XXXXXXX

_Space Station Bridge, Same Time_

Warning sirens were going off and emergency lights were flashing as Zim frantically typed away at his command console. "This can not be happening! The Cannon is invincible! How did Dib do this?!"

"I _told_ you it would happen," the computer sighed, "Actually, it looks like Dib managed to damage the main reactor just as it was building up a charge to fire. Ironically, if you had just allowed the firing process to continue normally, the damage wouldn't have been this bad. It's actually funny when you think-"

The computer was cut off when Zim ripped his chair out of the floor and threw it into the console, shattering the main screen. He then turned his gaze out the viewport, and let out a roar of rage as multiple explosions ripped through the Cannon.

"Damn you, Dib-Worm. Damn you!"

XXXXXXX

_Escape Pod 1, A Few Moments Earlier_

Warning bells were going off in the pod as well. Dib assumed that had something to do with the wall of fire following him though the tunnel that led to the exterior of the Cannon. Sweat leaked into his eyes, but he couldn't afford to break his concentration long enough to wipe them. He'd managed to stop the Cannon, now he had to make sure he lived long enough to celebrate it.

Seeing the exit coming up, Dib pushed the engines past their limits. Their edges started to melt from the intense heat they were releasing, but Dib would worry about that later. It was either add a little bit more damage to the already damaged pod, or be completely incinerated.

Not really a tough choice.

The pod sped up, just barely managing to squeeze between the tube and one of the panels, and quickly putting distance between itself and the Cannon. Seconds later, the explosion Dib had been running from burst through the opening, shattering the tube and ripping the panels off their hinges. Less than a minute later, several more explosions tore through the structure of the Cannon, blowing it apart.

Hovering just outside the atmosphere, Dib watched, teary-eyed, as the explosion died down and left behind an expanding field of debris. Entering a command for the pod's autopilot to take him home, Dib let fatigue overtake him and collapsed into his chair.

"I need a vacation," he grumbled, feeling the wounds on his face and chest start to ache again. Making a mental note to have his some of his father's medical drones look him over when he got home, he let his gaze drift over the console, and perked up a bit when he saw that the connection was still open to Zim's computer – apparently the mad little Invader hadn't noticed yet.

"This could be fun," he said with a grin. He then went to work, seeing what he could do to add insult to injury for Zim…

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: There you go people. The last chapter of 'SotF'. All that's left now is the epilogue and this story is done.**

**Also, just thought I'd mention that this chapter is the longest thing I've ever written to date. Go me.**

**Anyway, read and review!**


	12. Epilogue

**A/N: Here we go, the epilogue to "Shadows of the Future". Won't be much, but I'm just trying to set the stage for the next part of this trilogy. With that said, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own Jana. Everyone and everything else belongs to Jhonen Vasquez.**

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Main Control Room, Zim's Base, Five Hours Later_

Zim tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair in frustration as the computer ran a complete diagnostic of all its systems. Several hours earlier, after he'd finished trashing everything on the space station's bridge in order to vent his anger over the Cannon's destruction, the computer had alerted him to a hack in their mainframe. Apparently, Dib had used the connection between the escape pod's computer and the main computer to do… something. And Zim was in no mood to wait and find out the hard way what that "something" was.

"Diagnostic program complete," the computer finally announced.

Zim couldn't help but notice the nervous tone in the computer's voice. "What did he do?"

The computer was silent for a moment, no doubt afraid of what Zim's reaction would be. Finally, it said, "He managed to access the memory files containing the schematics for the EMP Cannon and erased them. The backup files too. There is no way for you to rebuild it without starting from scratch."

Despite the computer's expectations, Zim didn't become angry. He simply flicked his antennae in irritation. "No matter," he said, "I had no plans to rebuild the Cannon anyway."

"You didn't?"

"Of course not," Zim snapped, "I never try a plan a second time after it fails. Dib found a way to destroy the Cannon once before, he'd be able to do it again. I can't afford to become predictable."

Before the computer could respond to that, the doors to the room slid open and Jana shuffled in. After her pod had been sent spinning out of control into space, she had drifted for a while before Zim had dispatched a few drones to retrieve her. Now, she walked into the room until she was standing in front of Zim's chair, where she dropped to her knees and bowed her head.

"I have failed you, master," she said, "I beg of you, end my pitiful existence. I deserve it."

Zim didn't answer; he merely looked her over in silence for a minute. She obviously hadn't bothered to fix herself up before she'd come down here. The hole in the front of her suit was still there, showing that her abdomen was still partially scarred black, and the sleeve on her damaged arm was still torn away, revealing that the arm itself was covered in scar tissue. Judging by the fact that her fingers were twitching slightly, Zim figured that Jana's PAK was starting to reactivate the nerve endings. Taking all this into account, Zim finally spoke up.

"No, I don't think I'll do that."

Jana blinked and looked up in surprise as Zim continued. "After all, you seem to have suffered enough. And besides, you're the only competent servant I have, and I don't want to have to go back to just those two."

To demonstrate his point, Zim gestured to one of the computer's smaller screens. It showed a view of the living room, where GIR was sitting on the couch, laughing while he hit himself in the head with a frying pan. Minimoose floated nearby watching this, while sipping on a SuckMonkey.

"B-but, I failed in my mission," Jana stammered in confusion – she'd never seen Zim forgive failure before. "I was supposed to alter the timeline so that Dib would never become the focal point of a resistance against your empire. Instead, events have been altered so that there will be no empire to begin with. You're supposed to be leading the Armada in raining destruction down on this planet right now, not brooding in your lab."

Zim merely smirked and leaned back in his chair. "True," he said, "But I'm not giving up hope. Ever since your arrival, I've been looking into the concept of time travel. And while the humans may be annoying little pig-weasels, they have some interesting theories on the subject. My favorite is the belief that, even if you were to alter the sequence of events in a timeline, the end result would still be the same."

Jana considered this for a moment, before speaking up again. "So, you are convinced that even though the Cannon has been destroyed, we can still ensure your ascension to leadership of the Empire?"

"Yes, I am," Zim said. He leaned down and cupped Jana's chin in his hand, moving her head so that she was looking at him straight in the eye. Jana shivered slightly at the touch, but Zim didn't notice and continued. "I _will_ conquer this pathetic mudball of a planet, and I _will_ become Tallest, no matter how long it takes. And you will continue to serve me to the best of your ability until then. Understood?"

"Anything for you, my lord," Jana said softly, staring into his eyes. For a moment, they stayed like that, pale red gazing into emerald green. Then Zim realized how close they were and quickly pulled back into his chair.

Clearing his throat, Zim quickly waved his hand dismissively. "Well, uh, you'd better go rest up," he said, "I want you back in tip-top condition by tomorrow soldier."

Jana clasped her fist to her chest in salute. "As you wish… my Tallest."

Zim's antennae perked up at that, and he grinned slightly as he watched Jana stand up and march out of the room. The grin stayed on his face as he pressed his fingertips together in thought, new plans of conquest swimming around in his brain.

"I resent that 'competent servant' remark, just so you know," the computer spoke up. Zim rolled his eyes.

"Like I care," he said, "Now leave me be computer. I have plans to make; tomorrow's a brand new day, full of possibilities."

"It's also a Skool day," the computer said smugly.

Zim stiffened at that, then slumped in his chair. "Ah, frag," he muttered, "I forgot that this failure means I still have to go to that place."

With a sigh, Zim opened a compartment in the console and pulled out one of his textbooks. Briefly glancing to see which one it was, and seeing that it was the Biology one – which meant that it would at least be slightly interesting – he opened it up and began flipping through it. As he passed through the chapter on genetics, he paused as something caught his attention. His eyes began skimming over the page, absorbing the intriguing piece of information he had just found. A few seconds later, he began chuckling evilly.

"Oh, now this should prove quite helpful," he laughed, "Hear me well Dib – you may have won the battle, but the war is _far_ from over! Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

**A/N: Like I said, not much, but it gets the job done. Now I bet you're all wondering what Zim just found in that textbook, huh? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not telling. You'll have to wait until the next story, which I call "Evolution of Evil", to find out. I'll have the prologue of it up soon, but I first have to finalize some of the plot points.**

**Until then, read and review!**


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